Sacks of explosives seized in Zamboanga

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines — Three sacks containing explosive materials were seized by police and naval security forces in the waters off Zamboanga City on Saturday.

Personnel of the 1st Mobile Company, Naval Special Operation Unit-6 and Naval Intelligence Security Group were conducting patrol along the coast of Barangay Mariki when they spotted two motorized boats at around 5:20 p.m.

When the lawmen approached the vessels, the person manning one of the boats jumped overboard, swam toward the other boat and sped away with his two companions, according to Brig. Gen. Bowenn Joey Masauding, Zamboanga peninsula police director.

Authorities found in the abandoned boat three sacks containing explosive materials, including 47 plastic bottles of ammonium nitrate, safety fuse and 50 pieces of non-electric blasting caps.