Elements of the Naval Forces Eastern Mindanao (NFEM) intercepted a fishing vessel loaded with untaxed cigarettes in Davao Occidental and arrested two suspects believed to be active members of an armed group, lending credence to an earlier claim that certain organized groups in Mindanao are currently behind the proliferation of cigarette smuggling in the country.
Seized from M/B Princess Sarah last November 5, in the neighboring waters of Balut Island, Sarangani City, Davao Occidental, were more than 700 master cartons of various smuggled cigarettes, worth P29.4 million.
An informed source, who requested anonymity, said two of the nine arrested suspects are active members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), identified as Raiben Abbas and Entong Abbilani Jani.
The source provided photos of Abbas and Jani taken from their cellphones, showing them in MILF uniforms dressed with firearms.
Previously, Professor Rohan Gunaratna of the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore revealed that several armed groups in Mindanao, previously involved in kidnapping-for-ransom operations and other heinous criminal activities, are currently behind the proliferation of drug smuggling. cigarettes in the country.
Gunaratna noted that the international authority on global security threats said that these armed groups-turned-smugglers have “corrupted” several senior police and military officials deployed in Mindanao to facilitate and protect their illegal activities.
Worse, Gunaratna said, some members of these armed groups have become more powerful and influential because they have “gained political positions” in their areas of operations.
Gunaratna was among the speakers at a two-day conference in September called “PROTECT 2023: Doing Business Amid New Threats” in Makati City.
The global security threat expert specifically mentioned the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) and the Moro National Liberation (MNLF) in his discussions.
The undisputed source, who was with the strike team, described the participation of MILF members in smuggling activity as “outrageous”, despite the agreement reached between the MILF and the government to renounce armed struggle and illegal activities.
MILF leaders hold the majority of positions in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), headed by Ahod Ebrahim as its acting chief minister as well as chairman of the MILF.
When reporting the operations, the NFEM commander, Commodore Carlos Sabarre, said that his men were carrying out territorial defense operations nearby, aboard the BRP Artemio Ricarte (PS 37), when they came across the fishing vessel M/B Princess Sarah.
Despite repeated radio communications, BRP Artemio Ricarte pursued the vessel when it attempted to evade the lawmen and failed to present documents after they were intercepted. The BRP Artemio Ricarte is one of the Philippine Navy vessels under the operational control of the NFEM Naval Operational Task Force 71.
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During the inspection, lawmen discovered a total of 717 major cases: 215 from Cannon, 341 from Greenhill, and 161 from Bros. Those arrested were Rairen Abbas, Arcel Ambutong, Tikboy Ambutong, Abdunasir Gaodan, Gogo Hakim, Melhadz Ambutong, Fahad Balamo, Adami Kirani and Entong Abbilani Jani.
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