MARIVELES, Bataan — Combined elements of the Bureau of Customs and the National Bureau of Investigation prevented an attempt to smuggle 146,000 liters of unmarked fuel in Barangay Alas-Asin here Saturday, Dec. 16.
Impounded at a private wharf in Barangay Alas-Asin were the motorized tanker Lorna 2 valued at P60 million and the fuel and 16 lorries estimated at P88 million.
Intelligence officer Jovan Lugtu of the Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service said they were expecting more or less five tankers or vessels but when his group from the CIIS at the Manila International Container Port and the NBI anti-organized and transnational crime division arrived, only two vessels were docked with one able to escape.
He said that they were able to get one vessel, 146,000 liters of fuel and 16 lorries being loaded with the smuggled fuel. Lugtu said they were still investigating as to where the fuel came from.
Lugtu said the BOC under Commissioner Bienvenido Rubio, deputy commissioner Juvymax Uy, CIIS MICP director Verne Enciso and agents of the NBI are conducting no let-up drive against fuel smuggling.
Rubio lauded the quality of information received by the bureau because such intelligence report, he said, was crucial for the success of the apprehension especially in private ports unmanned by Customs agents.
He also welcomed the immediate action taken by the CIIS MICP operatives to verify the attempt to smuggle millions worth of unmarked fuel, which indicates the lack of necessary duties and taxes.
According to the commissioner, agents of the CIIS-MICP and NBI-AOTCD proceeded to Alas Asin to validate the report they received.
“Our agents went to the anchorage area upon receiving information that there were several vessels carrying alleged smuggled fuel and thereafter being transferred to lorries. A significant challenge in this operation is that this happened in a private port without BOC personnel, so the intel we received is critical,” Rubio said.
“These groups might think that they can get away with their illegal activities because it’s Christmas season. We’ve just proved them wrong. This latest operation is a message that nothing will stop and distract us from our goal of coming after them,” he added.
Enciso gave more details about the operation. He said that the estimated value of the fuel and 16 lorries is P88 million, while the estimated value of the vessel is P60 million.
“Our agents boarded the MT Lorna 2 at around 9 p.m. Saturday night. They immediately extracted samples of alleged smuggled fuel from the 12 compartments because these samples would need to be tested first,” he said.
“So far, initial test results by ESS fuel marking and SGS mobile laboratory units that arrived around midnight showed that the fuel sampled from the motorized tanker and lorries failed or was umarked. We would need to do further confirmatory tests,” he added.
Enciso said that around 11 lorries were in the area waiting to be loaded but of that number, only four were found to be loaded with fuel. Five other lorries filled with 32,000 liters of fuel were also found during a CIIS follow-up operation, he said.
Uy assured an even more intensified monitoring of smuggling attempts during the holiday season.
“Although holiday traffic is building, our officers will remain focused on their enforcement mission. We plan to keep the traffic moving while also keeping our eyes on the actions being taken by these groups and prevent smuggled and harmful products from crossing our shores,” he said.
