Maritime cops seize 101 sacks of ammonium nitrate off Masbate

From the Philippine News Agency (Jun 4, 2021): Maritime cops seize 101 sacks of ammonium nitrate off Masbate (By Mar Serrano)

Google map of Placer town in Masbate province.

Maritime police operatives intercepted a total of 101 sacks of hazardous ammonium nitrate worth PHP606,000 while being loaded by two men into a motorized boat docked at a coastal village in Placer, Masbate Thursday afternoon.

In a phone interview on Friday, Col. Joriz Cantoria, Masbate police provincial director, said the seized ammonium nitrate has no corresponding shipping documents.

He identified the suspects who managed to elude the operatives from the Masbate Maritime Police Station (MARPSTA) as Jesus Casinillo of Barangay Burabod and Onel Alburo, the owner of the motorized boat from Barangay Katipunan, both in the same town.

Cantoria said the duo immediately fled when they saw the approaching police operatives.

“The Maritime police operatives were on seaborne patrol at around 5:45 p.m when they sighted the suspects while loading the sacks of ammonium nitrate to their boat at the shorelines of Sitio Bitlig, Barangay Daraga," the police report stated.

Cantoria said the suspects could be engaged in selling the chemical material to produce improvised explosive devices (IEDs) for illegal fishing practices.

He added that ammonium nitrate is used in making agricultural fertilizers.

The maritime police impounded the motorized boat and the hazardous chemical compound.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1142569