Port execs question raid on Navotas fishing firm

Officials of the Navotas Fish Port Complex (NFPC) said yesterday that agents of the Bureau of Customs (BoC) and National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) failed to coordinate with them when they raided the dockyard of a fishing firm in the area more than two weeks ago.

“They totally ignored us,” NFPC manager Tito Cosejo told The STAR.

BoC and NBI agents conducted a series of raids on the dockyard of the BSJ Fishing and Trading Inc. at NFPC and its office in Barangay Tonsuya, Malabon City on suspicion that the international fishing firm is engaged in oil smuggling.

But the company was able to present complete documents to the team.

Arfil Catipay, NFPC security chief, said the raiding team only asked permission from their guard at the fish port gate to enter their premises but no formal communication reached his office.

“In regular operation, the raiding team has three options – coordinate with officials before, during, and after the operation,” Catipay said.

BSJ owner Lope Jimenez said they provided documents the raiding team had demanded “but they still continued to impound three barges and three tankers, seriously affecting the operation of my company.”

Alexis Inocentes, chief of NFPC harbor operations, said almost three weeks have passed but the raiding team has yet to file charges against the fishing firm.

Cosejo wrote a letter to BoC Commissioner Napoleon Morales on possible violations of the raiding team.

The STAR tried to contact the BoC’s Eric Albano, leader of the raiding team, but he failed to respond.     – Pete Laude