A fishing boat, carrying explosive components commonly used for dynamite fishing and a box of illegal drugs, was apprehended by the Provincial Anti-Illegal Fishing Task Force at a docking area near the South Road Properties (SRP) in Cebu City at around 1 p.m. yesterday.
The task force also arrested the boat’s two crew members, Jake Perez and Richard Leyson, and recovered from their possession two .22 caliber rifles.
Loy Madrigal, task force team leader, said the boat was traveling from Dalaguete town in southern Cebu and was supposed to stop over in Talisay City before proceeding to Leyte province.
Madrigal said he suspects the boat was transporting illegal drugs, but its original contents were transferred to another pump boat prior to the interception.
“There was another boat that traveled side by side with this one so we highly suspect that the contents of this boat were transferred to the other one. What remains are their personal things including the drug paraphernalia we found,” he said.
Aside from the firearms, the task force found dried marijuana leaves stashed in a grey tackle box near the boat’s steering wheel as well as eight pieces of blasting caps.
Madrigal said he received a tip about the boat and its contents at 11 a.m. yesterday while he was inspecting the routes for the upcoming Ironman triathlon at SRP.
He then contacted the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) for help on the operations and waited for the boat to pass at the dock in SRP situated near the fish port in barangay Tangke, Talisay City.
Upon the arrest, Madrigal said Perez and Leyson “acted aggressively and did not cooperate when questioned by authorities.”
As of yesterday, authorities are still tracing the owner of the boat.
The two crew members are detained at the Mambaling Police Station pending the filing of charges of illegal possession of firearms, possession of illegal drugs and possession of explosives.
Meanwhile, the fishing boat was brought to the Naval Forces Central (Navforcen) headquarters in barangay Looc, Lapu-Lapu City.