P1.8M smuggled rice seized in Zamboanga City

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines - Combined police and military forces seized 2,300 sacks of imported rice while being unloaded from a vessel in a private wharf in this city on Thursday night.

Senior Superintendent Jose Chiquito Malayo, city police director, said the illegal shipment was detected when several persons were spotted hastily unloading imported rice packed in 25 kilo sacks each from M/L Fatima Nursalyn which docked at the Petron wharf in Sitio Baliwasan Seaside at around 8 p.m.

Malayo said joint forces from Task Force Zamboanga and the City Police Office immediately launched operation and seized the contraband owned by a certain Madznur Tulawie.

Police investigation led by Senior Inspector Arlan Delumpines, head of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Management (CIDM), disclosed that the cargo vessel left Jolo wharf at around 2 a.m. and arrived in this city about 5 p.m. on the same day.

The crew and the skipper of the cargo vessel identified as Roque Cabasal failed to present pertinent documents for the transportation of the sacks of rice branded as “Tripple AAA” long grain rice.

A check with the customs district office revealed that the owner reportedly made payment for the cargo but the official receipt was left in the office.

Further investigation by the coast guard, however, disclosed that the cargo vessel has an expired license.

The seized rice shipment with an estimated market value of P1, 880,000 was turned over to the Bureau of Customs for proper disposition.