MANILA: The Philippine National Police – Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP CIDG) arrested 26 individuals and confiscated oil products worth P12.2 million early morning Tuesday (Feb 4) in San Juan, Batangas.
The law enforcers also seized the pieces of equipment used in the illegal trade.
According to the CIDG report, at 12:20am on Feb 4 at the Subukin Port in Batangas, the operation discovered and seized six straight truck tankers, four trailer trucks, one straight struck and a fishing vessel.
The boat had been converted into a tanker carrying 200,000 litres of petroleum.
The CIDG’s Batangas provincial unit and Calabarzon regional unit, the San Juan Municipal Police Station, the operatives from the Bureau of Customs, and the Philippine Coast Guard carried out the operation.
The arrests and seizures stemmed from a Customs request to crack down on suspected trading of goods without payment of lawful duties and taxes at the port.
The persons apprehended were brought to the Batangas CIDG.
They will be charged with complaints for violating Section 2(a) of Presidential Decree No. 1865 which penalises the illegal trade of petroleum and petroleum products.
Meanwhile, all the evidence confiscated were brought to the Bureau of Customs. - Philippine Daily Inquirer/ANN
