Zamboanga City—Composite team of Marines and policemen has apprehended in Tawi-Tawi two vessels loaded with some 400,000 liters of diesel worth P29.6 million believed to be smuggled from Malaysia.
Brigadier Gen. Romeo Racadio, Joint Task Force (JTF)-Tawi-Tawi commander, said the vessels were caught illegally loading diesel Saturday in Lihiman Island in the municipality of Turtle Islands.
Prior to the apprehensions, Racadio said the police in Turtle I lands received information about the alleged suspicious loading of diesel taking place in Lihiman Island.
Racadio said joint marines and police forces conducted the raid on the foreign boats, Marnia Penang, loading diesel to Jaslyn StacyLegazpi, a Filipino-owned motor tanker.
Investigation showed that Marnia Penang with 16 crewmen sailed from Deojor, Malaysia, to illegally unload 400,000 liters of diesel to Jaslyn Stacy Legazpi, a vessel from Navotas City with a 13-man crew.
Rodrigo Sarol, the boat captain of Jaslyn Stacy Legazpi motor tanker, also told police they linked up with Marnia Penang in Lihiman Island to load the diesel fuel.
“They (Sarol and crew) are still waiting for another vessel loaded with additional 200,000 liters of diesel to arrive,” Racadio said.
The two vessels were ] turned over to the Philippine Coast Guard based in Turtle Island town for proper disposition.
Meanwhile, Maj. Gen. Roy Galido, Western Mindanao Command chief, said they will not tolerate any illegal activity in their area of
operation.
“Rest assured that Westmincom, through its joint task forces and Navy component units, will remain stea fast in curbing maritime crimes and other illegal activities,” he said.
