GOVERNMENT troops intercepted a shipment of smuggled rice in Zamboanga City, the military said Thursday, March 12.
Colonel Antonio John Divinagracia, Joint Task Force Zamboanga commander, said the rice shipment was intercepted around 5:30 p.m. Tuesday at Sitio Lawingan in Labuan Village.
Divinagracia said the troops of the Army's 74th Infantry Battalion were manning a checkpoint when they intercepted the a truck loaded with 130 sacks of rice.
He said the truck driver Arlen Pantaleon failed to present documents showing legality of the rice shipment.
Pantaleon informed them the rice shipment is owned by Ariane Tan, a businesswoman and a resident Malagutay village, he added.
He said the truck and items were turned-over to the Police Station 10 for proper disposition. (VoxPop Zamboanga)