Coast Guard seizes Chinese dredger for illegal entry

By: Marlon Ramos, Philippine Daily Inquirer, 29 Jan 2021

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) and the Bureau of Customs (BOC) seized a Chinese dredger for “illegal and unauthorized presence” in Philippine waters more than a year after it was cleared to leave the country, the Coast Guard said on Friday.

The MV Zhonhai 68 was spotted on Wednesday during a maritime security patrol about 13 kilometers southwest off Orion Point in Bataan province by PCG and BOC personnel aboard BRP Panglao.

“Upon boarding, the joint operatives discovered the automatic identification system transponder of said vessel was turned off and its two Cambodian crew members aboard failed to present proper documents,” the PCG said in a statement.

The website vesseltracker.net identified Zhonhai 68 as a 2,340-ton general cargo ship that is registered and sailing under the Sierra Leone flag. It says the ship is operated by HK Weifeng Hangyun Co. Ltd.

According to world-ships.com, HK Weifeng Hangyun Co. Ltd. is a company registered in Malaysia.

Chinese ship operators often fly flags of other countries, or so-called flag of convenience, to take advantage of, among others, low taxes and cheap labor.

The BOC found that the customs field office in Aparri town, Cagayan province, had issued a departure clearance for the dredger over a year ago, according to the Coast Guard.

“Hence, its presence at said vicinity [of Orion] is illegal and unauthorized,” it said.

The customs bureau would soon issue a warrant of seizure and detention against the dredger, it added.

Cmdr. Armand Balilo, the PCG spokesperson, confirmed that Zhonhai 68 was a Chinese dredging ship flying the Sierra Leone flag.

“There’s no problem with that,” Balilo told the Inquirer by phone. “But its ownership is still China.”

The Chinese dredger is now anchored in waters between Bataan and Manila Bay, he said, adding that the ship was not conducting any dredging operation when it was accosted.