P27.6-M sugar shipment held

ZAMBOANGA CITY — Elements of the Marine Forces South (MFS) are tightly guarding a cargo vessel loaded with 23,000 sacks of allegedly smuggled sugar worth P27.6 million, which it intercepted off the coast of Recodo here last Saturday.

Col. Jonathan Martir, MFS deputy commander, said his men came across the steel-hulled cargo vessel, M/V Exodus, while testing a newly acquired speedboat.

Martir said the sacks of sugar have no markings, making it difficult for authorities to trace its origin.

But Martir said the ship’s crewmembers claimed that the shipment came from Mindoro.

The apprehended vessel is temporarily docked at the naval wharf here while awaiting proper disposition by the Bureau of Customs. — Roel Pareño