600K ‘hot narra’ seized in Ecija
CARRANGLAN, Nueva Ecija – Police on Sunday arrested two men in a van while more than P600,000 worth of undocumented narra flitches were seized during checkpoint operations in this town.
Nabbed were Isuzu Elf driver Jomer Deteques, 38; and helper Jayson Maniquiz, both of Batasan Bata, San Miguel Bulacan.
Police and CENRO-Munoz authorities under Florencio Lalu said the movement of the illegal wood shipment, which consisted a total volume of 3,058.56 board feet of narra worth P611,712, was being monitored following a tip from a concerned citizen.
Nueva Ecija police director Col. Rhoderick Campo said the joint police-DENR checkpoint operation was successfully pulled off along the national highway in Bgy. Joson at 2 p.m. on Sunday.
Members of the Nueva Ecija 2nd Provincial Mobile Force Company, the DENR-Nueva Vizcaya and DENR-CENRO Munoz, through forester III Alfredo Kimayong, and Santa Fe, Nueva Vizcaya PNP joined forces in the operation.
Campo said the Elf truck initially evaded the checkpoint when it was flagged down for inspection, forcing his men to give chase until the truck was cornered near the police COMPAC station in Bgy. Joson.
Kimayong, CENRO-Munoz enforcement section head, told the Journal Group yesterday that they are verifying where the illegal wood shipment was sourced, whether from Ilagan, Isabela in Region 2 or from Kalinga-Apayao in the Cordillera region.
