THREE Chinese nationals were intercepted by local authorities at the Mactan Cebu International Airport (MCIA) after they were caught attempting to smuggle around 53 kilos of dried seahorses out of the country.

The three were arrested by personnel of the Bureau of Customs (BOC), the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), the Transnational Aviation Support Services Inc. (TASSI) and Counter-Terrorist Unit (CTU) last Friday, October 4, 2019.

The dried seahorses were confiscated for violation of the provisions of Republic Act No. 8550 or the Philippine Fisheries Code of 1998; Fisheries Administrative Order (FAO) No. 233 and Republic Act No. 10654 or the Anti-Illegal Fishing Law.

The confiscated dried seahorses were issued a Receipt of Confiscation.

The dried seahorses, as well as the three Chinese nationals, were taken into custody by BFAR 7 officials for further investigation. (PR)