Three people were held for questioning. Authorities are looking for the consignee of the cargo, identified as Andal Sakandal. He had misdeclared the shipment as fresh fish from Jolo.
Col. Antonio Mark Supnet, chief of Task Force Zamboanga, said they were still checking if terrorist groups, particularly Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) or Abu Sayyaf, were behind the smuggling attempt.
"We cannot pinpoint yet this group, but it is definite that this chemical explosive is designed to be used in manufacturing an improvised explosive device," Supnet said. Ammonium nitrate is also an ingredient for fertilizers.
"What we know is that there was an attempt to sneak in ammonium nitrate into Zamboanga but we don’t know what’s the purpose," Western Mindanao police director Chief Superintendent Jaime Caringal told The STAR from Zamboanga.
"We are still investigating the matter," Caringal said.
He said members of the Regional Mobile Group and the Task Force Zamboanga intercepted the Toyota Hi-Ace van that was carrying the ammonium nitrate at the vicinity of the Zamboanga pier at around 5:30 a.m.
"The items were concealed in fish boxes and were declared as fresh fish from Jolo, Sulu," Caringal said.
Held for questioning were Joel Padre Amaro, driver of the van; and passengers Amado Bato Malaki, 60; and Gadjir Sapari, 18, all residents of Mampang, Zamboanga City.
Task Force Zamboanga team leader Capt. Rahis Halipa said the ammonium nitrate was unloaded from M/V Nickle Jane. The chemical shipment was composed of eight sacks, weighing 25 kilos each and concealed in ice cases. The consignee only used the initials "RR" in the shipping documents.
"The problem here is that we cannot just trace the personalities because the shipping operators are just accepting cargoes with the consignee using initials or even pseudonyms," Supnet said.
Supnet urged shipping companies to help police identify the sources of illegal or dangerous cargo by identifying consignees or the shippers.
"We are not letting our guard down as the lawless elements are getting more discreet in their efforts to bring the bombs in this city," Supnet said.
Caringal said authorities had foiled an earlier attempt to sneak into the city a large amount of ammonium nitrate. "Hindi pa namin alam saan nila gagamitin pero sa dami ng bombings hindi natin maiwasan na i-dugtong itong insidenteng ito sa mga bombings (We don’t know for what purpose they intend to use it, but in view of recent bombings, it’s hard not to make a connection)," Caringal said.
Last Sept. 18, Task Force Zamboanga seized 20 sacks of ammonium nitrate on M/V Katrina III, a passenger ferry that arrived also from Jolo.
Meanwhile, police are looking into the possibility that only one group was behind the series of blasts in Central and Western Mindanao, based on the explosive components found at the crime scene.
Chief Inspector Raynold Rosero of the Philippine National Police Bomb Data Center said bomb fragments found at the sites of recent blasts were from 60-mm, 81-mm and 40-mm mortar shells and from rifle grenades. — Roel Pareño, Cecille Suerte Felipe