AROUND 5,000 sacks of rice were intercepted by the Naval Forces Eastern Mindanao (NFEM) from a motorboat since no shipping clearance was able to be presented.
After the NFEM received reports that a motorboat carrying questionable products was about to pass through the Davao Oriental sea, the NFEM-Naval Task Group 71 immediately conducted a joint counter-action operations.
BRP Magat Salamat (Patrol Ship/PS20) and BRP Heracleo Allano (Patrol Craft 376), and the Joint Task Force Haribon joined in the operations together with the two teams of the Naval Special Operations Unit 7 using their 2 patrol boats last Saturday, November 16, at 10:50 p.m.
The interception happened near the shores of the Arena Point in Davao Oriental where the joint operatives stopped the motorboat coming from Zamboanga City and going to a warehouse in Maco, Compostela Valley Province.
Captain Hadun Hamil, the ship's captain, said the ship was carrying 12 crew members and 5,000 sacks of Angelica High Premium/super long grain white rice (50kgs/sack), which did not have supporting documents.
Yesterday morning, the National Food Authority (NFA) here conducted an investigation on the confiscated rice and found out that there are no authentic NFA shipping or transport documents on the transport of the rice.
The captain of the ship also revealed that they have done this three times already from Zamboanga City to private yards in Maco, Compostela Valley.
However, it cannot yet be determined if the rice that were transported were smuggled since investigation is still ongoing.
At present, the rice is held under the custody at Capt. Feranil Pier at the Naval Station Felix Apolinario, Panacan, Davao City while the 12 crew and the captain of the ship are up for disposition.