THE Police Regional Office in Caraga (PRO-13) seized a total of P1.2 million worth of furniture and lumbers on Wednesday, October 30, at a checkpoint.
Police Brigadier General Joselito T Esquivel, Jr, PRO-13 director, said a checkpoint of the Regional Mobile Force Battalion-13 along the national highway in Barangay Adlay, Carrascal, Surigao del Sur, flagged down a wing van from Lianga, Surigao del Sur that was heading towards Surigao del Norte.
Upon checking, police discovered furniture and lumber loaded in the said vehicle. The driver could not present any documents.
Of the five suspects arrested, two were from Misamis Oriental and another from Bukidnon.
Police identified the suspects as Alfredo Malasaga, 42, male, driver, a resident of Malingin, Igpit ,Opol, Misamis Oriental; Apple Esmeralda, 21, male, a resident of Pagadian City; Eugene James A Jantica, 32, male, a resident of Purok 3, San Antonio, Jasaan, Misamis Oriental; Eugene James A Jantica, 32, male, a resident of Purok 3, San Antonio, Jasaan, Misamis Oriental; Charlito Esmeralda, 19, a resident of Pagadian City; and Ian Christian Renoblas, 18, a resident of Kalabugao, Impasug-ong, Bukidnon.
Confiscated items include 18 pieces of magkuno lumber with volume of 4,909.97 board feet valued at P343,697.90; two Cleopatra sala sets with a total value of P170,000; seven door jams with a total value of P21,000; eight table stands with a value of P240,000; 64 chairs with total value of P320,000; seven panel doors with a total value of P105,000; 16 coffee sets stall with a total value of P24,000; six wine sets valued at P18,000; and five rice bowls with a total value of P12,500.
The suspects are under the custody of Carrascal Municipal Police Station for proper disposition while confiscated items are temporarily in the custody of 1302nd Maneuver Company Headquarters.
These will be turned over to DENR-Cenro Cantilan.
“We expect that our accomplishments on the ground will increase in the coming weeks as our police units have intensified the conduct of checkpoint regionwide," Esquivel said.