Photo courtesy of PNP
What began as a routine seatbelt violation led police to discover 27 sacks of suspected mineral ores inside a passenger van at a checkpoint in Misamis Oriental.
Police stopped the white van at the Amoros Boundary Control Point in Barangay Amoros, El Salvador City, on August 17 after noticing the traffic violation.
During the inspection, authorities spotted sacks containing suspected mineral ores inside the vehicle, including several stored at the rear.
Police said the occupants could not produce documents authorizing the transportation of the shipment.
Three men from Davao de Oro, identified only as aliases “Roni,” “Rey” and “Jay,” were taken into custody. Roni was driving the van, while the other two were passengers.
Authorities valued the 27 sacks of suspected mineral ores at Php 135,000 and the vehicle at Php 1.219 million, bringing the total estimated value of the seized items to Php 1.354 million.
The shipment will be turned over to the Mines and Geosciences Bureau Regional Office 10 for examination and verification. The three men may face charges under Republic Act No. 7942, or the Philippine Mining Act of 1995.