‘Cocaine did not come from Taiwan’

Taiwan denied yesterday that the sunken ship being investigated for alleged involvement in the P125 million worth of cocaine found off Matnog, Sorsogon came from Taiwan and was a Taiwanese vessel.

Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in the Philippines (TECO) said in a statement that records of Taiwanese relevant authorities showed that the M/V Jin Ming Nr. 16 was not registered in Taiwan, and neither was there a da- tabase existing in Taiwan.

According to TECO, the ship had been sold to the Togolese Republic in Africa in 2000.

A police official claimed the other day that the 25 kilos of cocaine worth P125 million recovered near Sorsogon shores last Wednesday came from the Taiwanese cargo vessel that sank off Northern Samar at the height of Tropical Depression Agaton last Jan. 2.

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said one of the rescued

crewmembers of ill-fated M/V Jin Ming Nr. 16 admitted to authorities that the drugs came from their ship that sank off Pambujan, Northern Samar.

The source did not divulge the identity of the crewmember except that he is a Taiwanese.

The vessel that left China on Dec. 12 was headed for Chile, according to authorities.

TECO said the Taiwanese documents submitted to Philippine authorities by the Chinese ship captain were forged.

“The cocaine did not come from Taiwan and the ship is not a Taiwanese ship,” it said.

The crew admitted to Philippine authorities that the ship came from Hainan, China bound for Chile.

“This information is fully confirmed by the ship’s Maritime Mobile Service Identity (MMSI) data and also admitted by the ship’s captain and crew,” TECO said.

A local fisherman in the town of Matnog, Sorsogon found the plastic container last week and reported it to authorities, not knowing its contents. Inside the drum, anti-drug agents found over 24 kilograms (53 pounds) of cocaine bricks wrapped in plastic.

The Philippines and Tai- wan do not have official diplomatic relations and Manila adheres to the “oneChina policy.” Taiwan is represented by its de facto embassy in the Philippines, the TECO.

The ship reportedly came from Taiwan and was headed for South America when it encountered bad weather. Initial reports said the vessel was transporting liquor.

Capt. Gregorio Adel Jr., commander of PCG Eastern Visayas District, said that despite the strong waves brought by Agaton, the PCG team managed to make two trips to rescue all nine crewmembers that included six Chinese, two Hong Kong residents and one Taiwanese.

Rescued were ship captain Lai Yi Kui, Chinese crew Xu Xi, Yin Gui Jin, Luwei Long, Xun Xi Long and Wuneng Jin. Also rescued were Hong Kong residents Hans Febie and Ho Sai Seong and Taiwanese Chen Xin Chuan.

The crew were placed under government custody after authorities became suspicious because of the proximity of the cargo vessel from the place where the drugs were recovered.

It only takes around 45 minutes of travel by sea from Sorsogon to Northern Samar, the source said.