The Philippine National Police Highway Patrol Group (PNP-HPG) announced Tuesday it has identified the owner of a barge allegedly used in an illegal fuel trade operation that netted P9.75 million worth of diesel last week.

HPG spokesperson Lt. Nadame Malang said the owner is a Filipino businessman who has reportedly been involved in the illegal trade for nearly two years.

However, Malang declined to release the individual’s name, citing the ongoing investigation.

The announcement follows a 7 April noontime raid at the Navotas Fish Port Complex, where authorities seized 65,000 liters of diesel and arrested nine men.

The suspects were allegedly caught in the act of transferring fuel but failed to provide documents authorizing the transport or storage of petroleum products.

Investigators have also identified the owner of a truck seized during the operation as a Filipino businesswoman, whose name is also being withheld.

“This is profiteering. Based on information we have gathered, this kind of transaction has been ongoing for almost two years,” Malang said.

The HPG is currently awaiting certification from the Department of Energy (DoE) to determine if the arrested individuals were authorized distributors and if the fish port is a designated zone for petroleum distribution. Both the barge and the truck remain in police custody.

PNP chief Police General Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. described the raid as a major blow to the “paihi” scheme — a method of siphoning fuel from larger vessels to smaller containers for illegal sale — which has persisted in port areas.

The crackdown comes as the government intensifies monitoring of petroleum products amid rising fuel prices driven by Middle East tensions.

“This operation proves our resolve: We will not stop until we sever their supply chain,” Nartatez said. “We are hitting them where it hurts their pockets.”