Three persons have been arrested in Batangas where they were caught smuggling frozen fish products, the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) said.
The NBI identified them as Alexious Y. Aguilar, Romel M. Estrada, and Jeremie G. Villa who were arrested last Feb. 6 by operatives of the bureau's Batangas District Office (NBI-BatDO).
“The entrapment operation also resulted in the seizure of one hundred (100) boxes of assorted smuggled frozen fishery products,” the NBI said.
Following the operation, the NBI said the three persons were presented for inquest before the Batangas City Prosecutor’s Office for violation of the Philippine Fisheries Code of 1998 and the Anti-Agricultural Sabotage Act of 2024.
“The operation stemmed from an information that individuals are engaged in the transportation and selling of frozen fishery products in the province of Batangas,” it said.
Acting on the said information, NBI- BatDO managed to contact the supplier and hatched an entrapment operation.
“Subjects agreed to deliver frozen fishery products in Batangas City,” it also said.
During the entrapment operation, the bureau noted: “Subjects arrived at the agreed place where the items will be unloaded and paid."
“After inspecting the declared smuggled frozen fishery products and after they received the pre-marked entrapment money, NBI-BatDO Operatives declared their authority under the law and arrested the said individuals,” it added.