Last Thursday, Intelligence Operative of the Western Command and Naval Forces West caught an alleged smuggling syndicate group which is said to be operating in the south western part of Palawan. The operatives has busted the syndicate group and confiscated 15 million pesos worth of assorted cigarettes that came from Malaysia and shifted into the Philippines.
In an interview to Major Neil Estrella Wescom spokesman last Friday, he said that the operation was conducted following weeks of their surveillance to the group which is believed to be involved in such smuggling operations and using Mangsee Island found in Balabac, an area nearest to the boarder of Malaysia, as a passage point of the contraband entering the country.
Estrella also added that the said route is one of the very active points that serve as a shipment passage for smuggled products. He said that almost every week there is contraband that is able to get into the mainland in Palawan and into the rest of the country.
The authorities made the moved based on the data gathered from the surveillance activities conducted by the team. Estrella said that they applied for a search warrant and was granted by regional trial Court Judge Jocelyn Dilig to investigate the network warehouse in Balabac which is used by the Muslim traders that are based there.
Latest updates shows that there are seven warehouse that has been searched by Estrellas team and were able to retrieved smuggled cigarettes which costs to 15 million pesos. The team are still looking if there are possibility that they can get drugs and firearms in the place.
According to Estrella, the team who lead the operation was assisted by fast crafts of the US-assisted Small Boat Unit (SBU) of the PNP Maritime which is supposedly intended for terrorist interdiction duties around Palawan southern backdoor.
The caught Muslim Traders which are based in Balabac are now facing charges regarding smuggling
