‘Hot meat’ from Subic seized in Laguna; 14 arrested
CAMP VICENTE LIM, Laguna -- Police arrested 14 persons, including five minors aged 14-15, while unloading hundreds of kilos of suspected smuggled frozen meat from two delivery vans inside a subdivision in San Pedro town, Laguna province late Wednesday, police said Thursday.
Chief Superintendent Nicasio Radovan, Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, Quezon) police director, said the confiscated meat products -- composed of buffalo meat, chicken leg quarters, longganisa (sausages) and ox tripe -- could be part of the 11 container vans which were illegally taken out of the Bureau of Customs office in Subic a few weeks ago.
He said it could also be part of the “hot meat” seized from a meat factory in Mexico town, Pampanga province the other day.
The frozen meat, weighing around 1.3 tons, was contained in plastic bags in 225 boxes. The label on the boxes showed that the meat came from China, India, Canada, and the United States.
“Some of these meat products are suspected of having [foot and mouth disease] so it’s not safe for human consumption,” Radovan told reporters here.
He said the source of the assorted meat products, identified as a Amil Perez, bought it at a low price and delivered it to his contacts, most of whom processors of meat products such as longganisa.
Superintendent James Brillantes, Regional Special Operations Group chief, said his men caught the suspects while unloading the contraband from two closed vans (THF 570 and XSE 278) in front of a house on 4th Street, Pacita Subdivision in Barangay (village) San Antonio, San Pedro town at around 10:30 p.m.
The house turned out to be a longganisa factory.
“The suspects were arrested after they failed to present the pertinent documents of the frozen meat,” Brillantes said.
Among those arrested were drivers Eduardo Lamina, 44, and Reynaldo Masane.
Masane said they did not know that the meat products they delivered were smuggled.
“I was just told by my boss to deliver it. We have no idea that it had no proper documents,” Masane told the Inquirer.
He said they have been transporting meat products to the area for a month.
Also arrested were Richard Pareha, 23, Elvis Bermido, 19, Leonardo Lazarte, 22, Alex Selos, 21, Alberto Guiang, 33, Rafael Peralta, 21, and Rodel Uno, 21.
The five minors said they were hired a month ago at the longganisa factory.
Radovan said aside from charges of violating the Meat Inspection Code of the Philippines and the Customs and Tariffs Code, the owner of the shipment also faces charges for hiring minors.
Chief Superintendent Nicasio Radovan, Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, Quezon) police director, said the confiscated meat products -- composed of buffalo meat, chicken leg quarters, longganisa (sausages) and ox tripe -- could be part of the 11 container vans which were illegally taken out of the Bureau of Customs office in Subic a few weeks ago.
He said it could also be part of the “hot meat” seized from a meat factory in Mexico town, Pampanga province the other day.
The frozen meat, weighing around 1.3 tons, was contained in plastic bags in 225 boxes. The label on the boxes showed that the meat came from China, India, Canada, and the United States.
“Some of these meat products are suspected of having [foot and mouth disease] so it’s not safe for human consumption,” Radovan told reporters here.
He said the source of the assorted meat products, identified as a Amil Perez, bought it at a low price and delivered it to his contacts, most of whom processors of meat products such as longganisa.
Superintendent James Brillantes, Regional Special Operations Group chief, said his men caught the suspects while unloading the contraband from two closed vans (THF 570 and XSE 278) in front of a house on 4th Street, Pacita Subdivision in Barangay (village) San Antonio, San Pedro town at around 10:30 p.m.
The house turned out to be a longganisa factory.
“The suspects were arrested after they failed to present the pertinent documents of the frozen meat,” Brillantes said.
Among those arrested were drivers Eduardo Lamina, 44, and Reynaldo Masane.
Masane said they did not know that the meat products they delivered were smuggled.
“I was just told by my boss to deliver it. We have no idea that it had no proper documents,” Masane told the Inquirer.
He said they have been transporting meat products to the area for a month.
Also arrested were Richard Pareha, 23, Elvis Bermido, 19, Leonardo Lazarte, 22, Alex Selos, 21, Alberto Guiang, 33, Rafael Peralta, 21, and Rodel Uno, 21.
The five minors said they were hired a month ago at the longganisa factory.
Radovan said aside from charges of violating the Meat Inspection Code of the Philippines and the Customs and Tariffs Code, the owner of the shipment also faces charges for hiring minors.
By Marlon Ramos - Inquirer
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