NAVOTAS CITY, Philippines — As the country grapples with record-high fuel costs, authorities have uncovered a massive illegal fuel trading operation at the Navotas Fish Port Complex.
On Tuesday afternoon, April 7, 2026, joint operatives from the Highway Patrol Group (HPG), the PNP Maritime Group, and the Philippine Coast Guard intercepted nine individuals caught in the act of illegally transferring petroleum products. The seized diesel is estimated to have a market value of ₱9.75 million.
The raid took place at Market 3, Pier 5 in Barangay North Bay Boulevard South. According to the PNP, the suspects—a group of Filipino males aged 21 to 57—were discovered transferring fuel directly from a tanker truck to a cargo vessel barge.
When questioned, the group, which included the vessel’s captain, drivers, and helpers, failed to present the required permits or documentation for the transfer. Recovered from the scene were:
- One Fuel Tanker containing 15,000 liters of diesel.
- One Cargo Vessel holding an additional 50,000 liters.
- Specialized pumping equipment and heavy-duty fuel hoses.
The nine suspects are currently in police custody and face charges for violating Presidential Decree No. 1865, which penalizes the illegal trading of petroleum products. If convicted, they face two to five years in prison and fines of up to ₱50,000.
The HPG has forfeited the truck, the vessel, and the fuel. Furthermore, the Department of Energy (DOE) has been tapped to perform a laboratory analysis of the diesel to determine if it was locally refined or smuggled from abroad.
This bust is part of a broader crackdown on illicit fuel trading as the Middle East conflict continues to push domestic diesel prices past ₱170 per liter. PNP Chief Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. has ordered all regional offices to heighten intelligence-gathering against similar “paihi” (illegal transfer) schemes.
The Navotas raid follows a separate incident in Quezon City over the weekend, where a suspicious fuel tanker was flagged for transferring fuel in a residential area of Barangay Sacred Heart.
“These illegal activities pose real dangers to our communities,” Nartatez said. “We are sending a strong message that those who ignore our warnings will be dealt with to the full force of the law.”