ILIGAN CITY — Authorities apprehended two individuals and seized an estimated ₱200,000 worth of suspected illegally transported copper ore during a checkpoint operation in Barangay Dalipuga, Iligan City on January 4, 2026, police said.
Personnel of the Iligan City Police Office–Criminal Investigation Unit/City Special Operations Unit (ICPO–CIU/CSOU), together with operatives from the Dalipuga Border Control Point–Iligan City Mobile Force Company (BCP-ICMFC), RID-10 resident agents in Iligan City, ICPS3, and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources–Region 10 (DENR-10) through CENRO Iligan, conducted the operation along the National Highway.
Police flagged down a Wing Van truck after noticing an improvised front plate number. Upon inspection, authorities discovered that the vehicle’s declared cargo of “rice hull” was allegedly a cover for sacks of suspected copper ore. The truck’s occupants failed to present the required transport permits and mining documents.
Arrested were the driver, identified by police as alias “Jun,” and a laborer known as alias “Rem,” both residents of Aurora, Zamboanga del Sur. Investigators said initial findings indicate that the mineral ore originated from Molave, Zamboanga del Sur, and was en route to Cagayan de Oro City.
Confiscated during the operation were the Wing Van truck and approximately 400 sacks of suspected copper ore. The seized items and the suspects are now under the custody of Iligan City Police Station 3.
Police said charges are being prepared against the suspects for violation of Republic Act No. 7942, or the Philippine Mining Act of 1995, particularly Section 103, which penalizes the illegal transport of mineral resources. The seized vehicle and mineral ore will be transported to Cagayan de Oro City for proper inventory and turnover in accordance with Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) protocols.
PBGen. Christopher N. Abrahano, regional director of Police Regional Office 10 (PRO-10), underscored the significance of sustained inter-agency coordination in combating illegal mining.
“This successful operation highlights the critical role of collaboration among law enforcement agencies and environmental authorities in protecting our natural resources and holding violators accountable,” Abrahano said.
Authorities reiterated their commitment to intensifying checkpoint operations and intelligence-driven actions to curb illegal mining and the unlawful transport of mineral resources in Northern Mindanao.