Navy seizes P68 million worth of smuggled rice in Zamboanga Sibugay

Officials of the Philippine Navy confiscated some P68 million worth of smuggled rice from Vietnam from a foreign vessel in Zamboanga Sibugay over the weekend.

According to data available, the Navy recovered 27,180 sacks of rice from the vessel in the waters off Olutangga, Zamboanga Sibugay late Saturday night.

Reports indicate that Naval Forces Western Mindanao received reports that a ship was harassed by armed men past 7:00 p.m., which pushed them to send a team to the area.

The vessel, along with two other ships, was found through the Littoral Monitoring System, but was unresponsive to calls.

Identified as the MV Diamond 8, the vessel was found to have been unloading rice to the smaller ships. It carried 11 Bangladeshi and four Chinese crew members.

The Navy said over 8,000 sacks of rice were unloaded to the two other ships—MV Yssa Maine and MV Yousra—which were able to flee the scene.

Originally from Vietnam, the vessel was set to dock in Zamboanga City and Manila. It also carried over 34 Filipino laborers, one minor, and residents from nearby areas in Zamboanga Sibugay.

The laborers are now under the custody of the Philippine Navy, while the foreigners were barred from leaving the vessel awaiting officials of the Bureau of Immigration and Deportation.

The vessel is now anchored along the Ensign Majini Pier of the Philippine Navy in Zamboanga City. — Jon Viktor D. Cabuenas/BM, GMA News