ZAMBOANGA CITY: Authorities have seized some 44,000 kilos of smuggled red onions and 300 drums of fuel sneaked into this southern port city, a top military official said Tuesday.
Rear Adm. Donn Anthony Miraflor, Naval Forces Western Mindanao (NFWM) commander, said the onions and fuel were seized Monday afternoon at a private-owned dry dock in Barangay Cawit.
Miraflor said 3,000 bags of smuggled onions were seized in a van while another 8,000 bags were found aboard a wooden-hulled ferry, MJ Marisa, moored at the dry dock.
“Each bag weighs four kilos, which sums up to approximately 44,000 kilos of smuggled onions,” Miraflor said in a statement.
The estimated worth of the seized onions was placed at PHP22 million, based on the prevailing market price of PHP500 per kilo.
Meanwhile, Miraflor said the 300 drums of fuel were also seized at the dry dock aboard another wooden-hulled vessel, ML Zhary. It has an estimated amount of PHP4.2 million based on the prevailing price of PHP70 a liter.
The confiscated fuel came from the municipality of Turtle Islands in Tawi-Tawi, he said.
On Sunday, personnel of the 2nd Zamboanga City Mobile Force Company and BOC also seized more than PHP2.5 million worth of smuggled red onions in the waters off Barangay Labuan here.
The onions came from India and were shipped to this city via Tawi-Tawi province
Source: Philippines News Agency
