ZAMBOANGA CITY – Philippine Coast Guard patrol seized a cargo ship loaded with some 50,000 bags of suspected smuggled rice off Tongkil Island in the southern province of Sulu, officials said Sunday.
Captain Joseph Coyme, commander of Coast Guard District South Western Mindanao, said the ship, MV Hulk, of Key West Shipping Lines Corporation, is based in Cagayan de Oro City. Its crew said they suffered engine trouble and was forced to drop anchor off Tongkil.
Two Coast Guard vessels, BRP San Agustin under Lieutenant Jeffrey Collado, and the BRP Bagacay, under Commander Joel Simoagto, towed the cargo ship to Zamboanga City and is now at the Ben Go wharf.
“The apprehended vessel encountered engine trouble and shut down while heading to Zamboanga City. The vessel is temporarily under the custody of Coast Guard awaiting for the Bureau of Customs’ inspection,” Coyme said.
The Coast Guard said it is still investigating the crew to determine who owns the cargo and where it came from. (Mindanao Examiner)
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