PRECIOUS SEA CREATURES Juvenile sea cucumbers. FILE PHOTO COURTESY OF DOST
PUERTO PRINCESA CITY — Three persons, two of them Chinese nationals, were arrested Tuesday at a Commission on Elections (Comelec) checkpoint in Roxas town in Palawan after 122 shark fins and 82 pieces of sea cucumber were found inside their vehicle.
Joint operatives of Roxas police, 2nd Provincial Mobile Force Company and other law enforcement units apprehended at 5:10 p.m. Moktar Anodin Pendiwada, 40, a resident of Dumaran town; and Chinese nationals Yixiang Huuang, 63, and Aaron Tan Wee, 38, of Danao City, Cebu and Tacloban, Leyte, respectively, in Barangay Minara.
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In a report on Wednesday, Oct. 18, the police said the three were traveling in a car that was flagged down at the Comelec checkpoint after cops noticed the driver and the front passenger were not wearing their seatbelts.
The three then became agitated, prompting authorities to conduct an inspection of the vehicle, which led to the discovery of the shark fins and sea cucumbers inside the car’s compartment.
A police report also said the operation stemmed from a tip forwarded by an informant regarding the illegal activity being conducted by the individuals.
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The police then sought assistance from barangay officials along with a personnel of the Palawan Council for Sustainable Development Staff to conduct further investigation.
The suspects were not able to provide documents for the contrabands and were arrested, while the items were confiscated.
Authorities are now preparing charges for violation of the Wildlife Resources Conservation and Protection Act.