AUTHORITIES arrested three individuals and seized some P2.1 million worth of alleged illegally extracted mineral ores in the province of Lanao del Norte, the police said Tuesday, August 25, 2026.
Police Brigadier General Aaron Mandia, Police Regional Office-Northern Mindanao officer-in-charge, identified the three arrested individuals through their aliases as Ewing, 41, driver; Onil, 20; and, Ken, truckman. All three are residents of Zamboanga Sibugay province.
Mandia said they were arrested around 6:10 p.m. Monday, August 24, in Purok 1, Butadon village, Kapatagan, Lanao del Norte.
“While manning the checkpoint, operating personnel flagged down a wing van truck traveling from Titay, Zamboanga Sibugay, bound for Misamis Oriental after noticing the unauthorized use of an improvised plate number,” Mandia said in his report.
He said personnel deputized by the Land Transportation Office (LTO) issued motor vehicle impounding receipt upon verification that the vehicle had an expired Official Receipt (OR), constituting an impoundable violation under the Land Transportation and Traffic Code.
He said the personnel manning the checkpoint noticed the driver and truck helper gave inconsistent answers about the cargo.
The driver and truck helper presented the necessary documents purportedly authorizing the transport and possession of the cargo when one of them disclosed the vehicle was carrying mineral materials and consented to the opening of the rear compartment, where sacks of alleged ore minerals were found.
Upon coordination for verification, the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) deputized personnel confirmed that the documents were fabricated and not issued by their office.
The confiscated items were one wing van truck and 420 sacks of alleged ore minerals, weighing approximately 25 metric tons and with an estimated market value of P2,100,000.00, based on the valuation of the MGB.
Mandia said the three apprehended individuals were brought to the Kapatagan Municipal Police Station for documentation and proper disposition and may face charges for violations of the Philippine Mining Act of 1995.
Meanwhile, the intercepted cargo and vehicle remain under the custody of the 2nd Provincial Mobile Force Company pending examination by the MGB-10. (SunStar Zamboanga)