About 2,000 kilos of giant clams were confiscated in Cebu in a joint operation by National Bureau of Investigation (NBI-7) and Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources in Central Visayas (BFAR- 7).
The authorities arrested five suspects that were caught red-handed having possession of the giant clams in Cebu City and the town of Cordova.
Officials from NBI-7 said that their surveillance of these suspects took months before their operation last Wednesday, Oct. 16.
In an interview with NBI Region 7 Director Tomas Enrile on Friday morning, he revealed that these were sold from P18,000 to P20,000 per kilo.
This brings the total value of the seized items to P36 million.
NBI-7 filed the appropriate charges against the violators on Friday morning before the Cebu City Prosecutor’s Office.
BFAR-7 said the possession of giant clams is a violation of the Republic Act 10654 or an “Act to Prevent, Deter and Eliminate Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing.”
The giant clams are also protected under international policies, particularly listed under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna (CITES) Appendix II.
