MARIVELES, Bataan — A powerful syndicate is now allegedly running after the Georgian ship officer who revealed to authorities the identities of two foreign nationals and a Filipino who had actually unloaded some 15 wooden crates of smuggled assault rifles here, prompting the Bureau of Customs (BoC) authorities to transfer the witness for sake keeping, it was learned here Sunday.

As this developed, the BoC has been getting in touch with the Australian Federal Police and the International Police (Interpol) to get the head of the syndicate who was reportedly behind the smuggling of 19 wooden crates containing Galil assault rifles and one box of caliber .9mm pistols.

Director Nestorio Gualberto, chief of the BoC’s Customs Enforcement Group, told newsmen here that they had already sought assistance from the Australian Federal Police to study the navigational equipment found on the confiscated getaway boat used by the syndicate in transporting the assault rifles estimated to be worth P100 million.

Some newsmen expressed doubt, however, if the authorities can get the head of the syndicate since he allegedly has strong connections.

A day after the Manila Bulletin/Tempo ran a story about the exposè of George Shavishvili, a Georgian national and 3rd Deck Officer of the “M/V Ufok,” the Panamian-registered vessel that was used by the syndicate to smuggle the firearms into the Port of Mariveles, Bataan, BoC authorities had immediately transferred the Georgian from its detention cell at BoC to the Bureau of Immigration and Deportation after a group who is said to have a connection has reportedly tried to get the Georgian.