Malaysia detains 3 Filipinos on smuggling charges

TAWI-TAWI, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / August 30, 2009) – Malaysian authorities arrested six people, three of them Filipinos, in separate anti-smuggling operations off Sabah near the southern Philippines, reports said.

Reports said Marine police intercepted a motor boat called “jongkong” off Sahabat 16 and seized 1,000 liters of petrol and hundreds of packets of cooking oil. Three people were arrested in the operation conducted on Friday.

The Malaysia’s Star Online reported that the boat had come from Sabah’s eastern coast of Lahad Datu. It said the boat was heading to the southern Philippines when police intercepted the vessel.

Assistant Superintendent Rudin Banin, Lahad Datu marine police operations commander, said those arrested were between the ages of 20 and 40.

He did not say if those detained were Filipinos or not. But in another operation, three Filipinos were also arrested for allegedly smuggling some 6,000 packs of Philippine-made fireworks worth about RM 18,000 into Sabah.

The names of the Filipinos were not made public, but reports said they were between 24 and 44 years old.

Sabah is home to many illegal Filipino workers and migrants. (Mindanao Examiner)

Smuggling In The Philippines Still Rampant

MANILA, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Apr. 24, 2008) – Philippine opposition leaders accused the government of failing to eradicate smuggling activities in the country which is now facing a huge rice shortage and soaring prices of basic commodities.

The United Opposition (UNO) said the rampant smuggling aggravated the current economic situation and has greatly affected millions of poor Filipinos and the agricultural sector.

"The biggest problem caused by rampant smuggling is that it killed the agricultural sector which is why we are experiencing the rice crisis," said opposition leader Joseph Victor Ejercito, who is also the mayor of San Juan.

The mayor, son of deposed Philippine leader Joseph Estrada, said the Arroyo government failed to uplift the poor living standards of the Filipinos.

Ejercito made the comment following the disclosure by the Presidential Anti-Smuggling Task Force Group (PASG) that the government is losing P65 billion annually from smuggling activities. But independent figures estimate the government could lose as much as P100 billion. Most of the contraband, PASG said, come from Singapore, Malaysia, and China.