THIRTEEN Chinese nationals, who were found to be undocumented, were arrested in Bataan after a routine inspection uncovered a uniform resembling that of China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA), according to the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) on Wednesday, November 28.

According to the incident report posted by PCG on its Facebook page, two Filipino crew members and one Chinese agent onboard were also arrested. They were crew members of Harvest 89, a dredging vessel anchored off Mariveles, Bataan.

The operation began when the vessel’s agent notified the PCG of its planned departure to conduct dredging activities in San Felipe, Zambales.

The PCG initiated a pre-departure inspection but was denied access by the crew. This led to a more extensive inspection, which revealed nine undocumented Chinese nationals on board, all of whom lacked proper identification.

A follow-up search uncovered four more undocumented crew members, bringing the total number to 13.

Additionally, a uniform resembling that of the People’s Liberation Army was found during the inspection, raising concerns about the individuals' motives.

The PCG has launched an investigation into the incident to determine the circumstances surrounding the discovery and the presence of the PLA-like uniform.

All arrested foreign nationals are being held at the PCG’s Detention Facilities in Taguig City.(CMM)

• Tags
• #Undocumented Chinese Nationals
• #Bataan
• #China’s People’s Liberation Army
• #Philippine Coast Guard
• #San Felipe Zambales