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ZAMBOANGA CITY (MindaNews/17 August) – Police intercepted 10 cargo trucks loaded with an estimated P2 million worth of suspected smuggled rice in this city, the police reported today.
Supt. William Gadayan, commander of the Zamboanga City Public Safety Company, said the trucks loaded with rice were intercepted around 1:30 p.m. Thursday in Barangay Sinunuc, this city.
Gadayan said the rice shipment, which came from Jolo, Sulu, consisted of 2,943 sacks of 25 kilos each.
The cargoes were transported aboard M/V Al Kausal.
Gadayan said in his report that the rice was seized after its owner, Mazdnur Tulawie, could not show supporting documents for the shipment.
He said the confiscated cargoes were turned over to the Bureau of Customs for proper disposition while M/V Al Kausal’s skipper is in the custody of the Coast Guard for investigation.
The confiscation came two days after joint Navy and Coast Guard personnel intercepted a wooden-hulled ferry loaded with some 3,000 sacks of rice of 25 kilos each with an estimated market value of P3 million.
The combined Navy and Coast Guard personnel were on patrol when they spotted on Tuesday the ferry heading into this city. (MindaNews)