Thursday, December 27, 2007

Narra worth P0.4M apprehended in Tabuk

Tabuk City, Kalinga - Police here confiscated an estimated 7,500 board feet of narra fliches and lumber loaded in a 10-wheeler truck at the police checkpoint at Callagdao, Bulanao, this city, dawn of December 11.

Personnel of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) told the media the contraband has an estimated value of P400,000.00 in this city but could fetch more or less P1,000.000.00 in Metro Manila.

City chief of police Supt. Florante Camuyot said the local police acted on a tip there was a stockpile of narra fliches and lumber somewhere in Callagdao which about to be transported and had conducted a stake* out operation since December 9 at the place.

Camuyot said that when the truck bearing plate number BCU 770 passed the Callagdao checkpoint at around 5 AM, the police flagged it down to check its documents and because the documents presented by the driver, Angelito Mones, 35, married, of Del Pilar, Cabatuan, Isabela, looked doubtful, they brought the truck to the city police station in Dagupan Centro for further verification.

Camuyot said when DENR personnel inspected the load of the truck, they found the narra lumber underneath layers of sacks of rice husk.

Police investigators learned from Mones and the crew, namely, Leo Francisco, 29, Dante Galot, 36, Romeo Galot, 35, Alfredo Rivera, 42, Federico Ballejos, 50, Romeo Geronimo, 39, Alex Cortez, 29, and Roger Paragas, 37, all of Nagrumbuan, Cauayan City, Isabela, that they were hired by a certain Pedro Velasco whom they described as the barangay captain of Nagrumbuan.

They also alleged that Velasco owns the lumber.

Tabuk City Community Environment and Natural Resources Officer Geoffrey Sidchogan said they will be filling the appropriate charges against those involved in the transport of the lumber which will also be subject to administrative proceedings for confiscation in favor of the government. **by Estanislao Albano , Jr., ZZW Dec. 16, 2007