CEBU, Philippines - Some 12 boxes of a popular soap brand were turned over to the Centro Police Station in Mandaue City last Monday afternoon after a traffic enforcer noticed them being dropped on the road.
Cristitu Pablo of Traffic Enforcement Agency of Mandaue (TEAM) was posting along R. Colina Street near Pacific Mall when he saw the boxes being dropped. He said he saw two delivery vans near the area where the boxes were slumped.
But he said that while he was on his way to check the boxes, one of the delivery trucks hurriedly left. Also, when he inquired from the other truck driver, the latter denied of having a hand of the said items.
Pablo believed that said boxes were supposed to have been smuggled, instead of being brought to a store for delivery, and this prompted him to inform their office.
Glenn Antigua, a supervisor of TEAM, officially turned over the items to Police Station 1 for safekeeping.
It was also learned from the police that a certain Hilario Iyoy, representing a cargo forwarder, went to the station to claim two boxes after he found out their delivery to a mall lacked two boxes of said items.
The police learned from Iyoy that each boxes of soap was worth P2,600 and the police believed the smuggled ones were only being sold at a much lesser price by the culprits.
Police also believed that hauling goods more than what is being intended for delivery and not declaring them on the delivery receipt is a form of modus operandi.
Authorities are waiting for other claimants but will not release the goods unless they can show proof of ownership of the remaining 10 boxes of soap. — (FREEMAN)