Maritime Police in Tawi-tawi nabbed a 50-year old male for possession of alleged smuggled gasoline in the seawaters of Tandubas, Tawi-Tawi on 21-June-2022.

Operatives of Tawi-Tawi Maritime Police Station led by PLT ROBERT D SAMSON, Officer-in-Charge together with Tawi-Tawi PIT, RIU 9 and Coast Guard Central Station, Bongao, Tawi-Tawi onboard HSTW No.17, conducted an intel driven seaborne patrol operation regarding the shipment of allegedly large volumes of smuggled petroleum products loaded in motor launch M/L Liza Mae from Sempurna, Malaysia.

At about 9:30 AM of the same date in port of Tanduh-Bato, Tandubas, Tawi-Tawi, the operation led to the successful arrest and discovery of more or less 30 drums of alleged smuggled gasoline with an estimated market value of Three Hundred Thirty Thousand Pesos (Php330,000.00).

Initial investigation disclosed that the said drums of imported gasoline were hastily unloaded from M/L Liza Mae by throwing the drums overboard along the vicinity, which according to the residents in the area immediately left the said place, allegedly proceeded somewhere to the island of Sulu, after unloading the said petroleum products. The operating team immediately searched for the owner of the said smuggled gasoline, who was later identified as Mr. Kadapi U. Alano, 50 years old, and a resident of Tanduh-Bato, Tandubas, Tawi-Tawi.

During the initial investigation, Mr. Alano admitted that he bought more or less 30 drums from M/L Liza Mae which was immediately unloaded from said vessel. Further information revealed that it was allegedly loaded with more or less 500 drums of gasoline, believed to be smuggled from Sempurna via Sitangkai, Tawi-Tawi when it proceeded to the province of Sulu. Upon verification, Mr. Alano does not have any documents justifying his legal possession of the said imported gasoline, hence, the operating team seized the thirty 30 drums of gasoline for violation of RA 10863 “Modernizing the Customs and Tariff Administration.”

Tawi-Tawi MARPSTA is continuously monitoring the whereabouts and location of M/L Liza Mae with the help of counterparts from Tawi Tawi PIT RIU-9, and CGS Central Bongao for possible follow-up operation. The arrested suspect together with confiscated pieces of evidence were subsequently brought to Tawi-tawi Maritime Police Station for proper documentation prior to turnover to the Bureau of Customs.