P13.8 M worth of smuggled rice seized in Tawi-Tawi

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines – Some P13.8-million worth of smuggled rice were seized by the Philippine Navy from two vessels off Tawi-Tawi, officials said yesterday.

Naval Forces Western Mindanao (NFWM) chief Rear Admiral Jesus Millan said operatives of Naval Task Force 61 initially intercepted late January M/L Sea Dayang loaded with 6,000 sacks of rice near Bongao town.

Millan said the Navy discovered the sacks of imported rice aboard the vessel were not properly documented.

A week later, another vessel M/L JF Express was also intercepted and apprehended by the Task Force 61 near Pangutaran, Sulu and was discovered to be loaded with 2,750 sacks of rice.

Officials said the skipper of the vessel was not carrying the proper documents for the smuggled rice.

Millan said both vessels and the smuggled rice were turned over to the Bureau of Customs regional office here.

He said based on the assessment, the seized imported rice was estimated to be worth P13.8 million.

The Naval Forces Western Mindanao have intensified the campaign against rice smuggling in the south as the island provinces of Sulu and Tawi-Tawi have been utilized by rice smugglers as their transshipment point.