PCG seizes P120-M smuggled rice from Liberian-flagged ship off Zamboanga Sibugay

The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) recovered P120 million worth of smuggle rice in waters off Olutanga, Zamboanga Sibugay on Sunday morning.

The PCG said 60,000 smuggled sacks of rice were seized from MV J-Phia, a Liberian-flagged cargo ship, intercepted around 25 nautical miles southwest off Olutanga at around 9:30 a.m..

The PCG said its ships were deployed to the area after receiving a tip that the Liberian ship was transporting a cargo transferred from another foreign vessel in the Sulu Sea.

It said that according to the seized ship's captain, their last port call was in Cagayan de Oro City, but he could not show records of departure.

The PCG said a case of smuggling will be filed against the captain and crew of the Liberan-flagged ship, which has been escorted to the Zamboanga Port. —ALG, GMA News