The Highway Patrol Group Regional Office 3 seized 28 tons of imported hot meat worth P10-million at a checkpoint in Sta. Maria, Bulacan on Saturday morning.
Three reefer vans containing P10-M worth of contraband were intercepted along Gov. Fortunato Halili Road at around 10:10 a.m. during an Anti-Carnapping checkpoint operation and their drivers failed to present proper documents.
According to PCOL Sally Mangacop, chief of the Regional Office 3 Highway Patrol Group, while conducting a checkpoint, they stopped the three reefer vans because they had their blinkers on and were not wearing seat belts.
The drivers failed to show any documents of the boxes of frozen meat they were carrying.
The three white reefer vans have plate numbers CBJ 5161, CBP 1065, CCB 7627.
According to its drivers, identified as John Michael Burbano, a resident of brgy.Sto.Cristo, San Isidro, Nueva Ecija, Ivan Baltar, a resident of brgy.San Vicente, and Rene boy Casusa, a resident of Barangay Gulod, Sta.Maria, the cargo of imported pork came from Sta.Maria, Bulacan and they will deliver it to Pulilan.
They said they showed some papers to the authorities but they didn’t know if those were the proper documents for the meat they were carrying.
Currently, the three reefer vans and drivers are in the custody of HPGR3 for ongoing investigation.
According to PCOL, they have already coordinated with the NMIS or National Meat Inspection and Bureau Animal Industry that the seized imported pork will be brought to the Digama Waste Compound in Porac, Pampanga for proper disposal.
