BALANGA CITY, Bataan- Alarmed by the smuggling of assault rifles here last month, Bataan provincial officials asked the Bureau of Customs and the Philippine National Police to furnish them the results of investigation and litigation of the case against the suspected foreign smugglers.

During last Monday’s provincial board session here, board member Edward Florendo said the reported smuggling by the M/V Ufuk, a Panamanian-registered ship, in the waters off Mariveles has a negative impact on foreign investors inside the Bataan Economic Zone.

On Florendo’s motion, the provincial board passed a resolution asking Customs Commissioner Napoleon Morales and Sr. Supt. Manuel Gaerlan, Bataan police director, to inform the board of any action that they may have taken regarding the case. Florendo’s action came following reports that a powerful group has been lobbying for the dropping of the smuggling case filed against Dave Smith, said to be the owner of the guns and the ship; Bruce Jones, the ship captain who brought the vessel into the country from Jakarta, Indonesia where they bought the guns; John Lawrence Burne, the ship captain who replaced Jones in the high seas; and the 13 Georgian crew members identified as Verdzadze Shalva, Bejanidze Gocha, Shavishvili George, Lortkiphanidze Eduard, Malakmadze Tamaz, Lortkiphanidze Temur, Malakmadze Albert, Bakhtadze Rodam, Diasamidze Gia, Makaradze Gia, Mskhaladze Damir, Pogosyan Valentin and Makharadze Temuri.

Smith is now being hunted by authorities while Jones had voluntarily surrendered to BoC.

The group, through a lawyer, had reportedly spent more than $1 million for the dismissal or downgrading of the smuggling and illegal possession of gun charges against them. Once the cases are dropped, forfeiture proceedings against the ship valued at P400 million, the yacht and five inflatable boats worth $100,000 each would also be dismissed.

Authorities recovered five wooden crates of Galil-type assault rifles when they boarded the ship anchored off the Port of Mariveles.