PCG: Joint forces of the Coast Guard, Navy and the Bureau of Customs have apprehended a motor launch and its skipper for smuggling rice from Malaysia and seven other violations. 

The joint operations of Coast Guard Station (CGS) Dumaguete, together with the Customs, National Food Authority (NFA) and Naval Forces Central (NAVFORCEN) intercepted ML Al-Althie at the vicinity waters of Barangay Lutuban, Zamboanguita, Negros Oriental yesterday, April 3.

Said vessel was loaded with smuggled sacks of rice and other items without pertinent documents from Malaysia.

According to its captain, ML Al-Althie was loaded with 9,000 sacks of Malaysian rice, biscuits, mattress and other dry goods.

Around 4:48 PM, the ML Al-Althie was escorted by the representative from PCG, PN, BOC, NFA and craft of NAVFORCEN DF-341 to Dumaguete Port for the inventory of its cargo and subsequently detained the said motor launch.

The Coast Guard team issued Enforcement Inspection and Apprehension Report (EIAR) to the master of the said vessel with the following violations: unlicensed chief engineer, no certificate of public convenience certificate onboard, no ship station license onboard, no authorization for grain carriage, manning specified by minimum safe, manning documents and no garbage management plan while BOC issued warrant seizure and detention order.

The confiscated items were unloaded for inventory and stored at BOC Dumaguete warehouse for safekeeping.