ZAMBOANGA CITY — Operatives of the Philippine National Police Highway Patrol Group (PNP-HPG) intercepted a shipment of suspected mineral ore valued at about P6.65 million during a checkpoint operation in Molave, Zamboanga del Sur.

The PNP-HPG Regional Office 9 reported that personnel flagged down a wing-van truck for routine inspection at Barangay Sudlon, Molave, on Friday. Upon inspection, authorities discovered 450 sacks of suspected mineral ore inside the vehicle.

Police said the driver and his two assistants failed to present the required transport permits from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) or the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB), prompting the immediate seizure of the cargo.

The confiscated mineral ore was turned over to the MGB for laboratory analysis to determine the exact type of mineral and its origin. Initial assessments suggest the ore may have come from an unregulated small-scale mining site in the Zamboanga Peninsula.

Investigators are also retracing the truck’s route using CCTV footage and checkpoint logs and are looking into a person of interest believed to be the financier of the shipment.

Meanwhile, the wing-van truck has been impounded at the PNP-HPG 9 compound while authorities verify the identity of its registered owner to determine whether the vehicle was knowingly used for illegal activities.

The driver and his two companions were arrested and are now detained at the provincial police headquarters. They are facing charges for violating Philippine Mining Act of 1995.

PNP-HPG officials said the seizure forms part of the government’s intensified campaign against environmental crimes in the region.