TWO vans allegedly carrying smuggled goods were intercepted by the members of Bacolod Police Station 1 at the Reclamation area Tuesday evening led by Police Chief Inspector Luisito Acebuchi, the police said Wednesday.
Acebuchi identified the suspect as Joel Mendoza, 45, and Jaype De Guzman, 25, both residents of Sucat, Paranaque City, Metro Manila, and drivers of the van, Jofie Alarios, 29, of Iloilo City, and Roy Ballados, 21, of Paranaque City, both helpers of the van.
Acebuchi said the said van with plate numbers RGU 417 and RAJ 263 contained Yamaha motorcycles without pertinent documents to support its transport. He said that the said drivers only presented their driver's of license and some photocopy documents.
He said the two vans contained 10 units of Yamaha motorcycles, of which they surrendered the said units to the Office of Bureau of Customs.
Acebuchi claimed that they received an information from Dumangas that there were motorcycles carried by a' ro-ro' and about to dock in the City of Bacolod, and that they conducted a checkpoint at Reclamation area.
He said that when they tried to ask the proof of ownership and the Customs receipts of said items, the said suspects failed to present the original copy of the documents.
He cited that when they conducted a check point in Reclamation area, the suspects claimed that they only carrying a tent, but when the police personnel inspected the said vans it was discovered that it's a motorcycles, believing that the said suspects have something to hide from the authority.
Acebuchi said that they just hold the said items, citing that in the City of Bacolod rampant of carnapping was also recorded. He stressed that it will now depend to the Bureau of Custom to decide to the said units.
He said the said drivers were also just rented to carry the said units from Davao to Iloilo and Bacolod to Cebu.