Philippine authorities have detained a Chinese-owned dredger after it was discovered that the vessel was still in Philippine waters more than a year after its compulsory departure.
Personnel from the Philippine Coast Guard and the Philippine Bureau of Customs aboard a coast guard patrol boat intercepted and boarded the dredger seven nautical miles off Orion Point in Bataan province at around 11:00 local time on Wednesday, January 27.
Upon boarding, the coast guard and customs personnel discovered that the dredger's AIS transponder was turned off and that the two Cambodian crewmembers did not have proper documents in their possession.
The customs personnel verified that the vessel was granted departure clearance by the customs office in Aparri, Cagayan province, more than a year prior, making its continued presence in the waters off Bataan illegal and unauthorised.
Customs officials are set to issue a corresponding warrant of seizure and detention against the vessel.