ILOILO City – Personnel of the Regional Maritime Unit 6 (RMU-6) apprehended a female senior citizen for possessing P4.2 million worth of giant clam shells during an operation on Saturday, October 5, in Purok 4, Barangay Lantangan, Gigantes Island, Carles, Iloilo
RMU-6, together with the Carles police station, seized 70 sacks of giant clam shells weighing 2,800 kilos from the house of the 63-year-old alias “Evelyn”.
According to Major Janvier Gilza of RMU-6, the operation was executed following reports they had received that the suspect was involved in buying and selling of clam shells, locally known as taklobo.
“We conducted a monitoring and we confirmed that the suspect was selling clam shells. We recovered the clam shells inside her compound. The clam shells are considered endangered species, that’s why it is illegal to buy and sell,” Gilza said.
The suspect is now under the custody of the Carles police station, facing charges for violation of Section 102, paragraph (b) of Republic Act 10654, or the Amended Fisheries Code./PN
