Source: Sunstar Online

COMBINED operatives from the police, marines, coastguard, and navy arrested 19 Chinese fishermen for poaching within the waters of Tawi-Tawi province.

Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) Police Director Joel Goltiao on Thursday said the Chinese fishermen were arrested last September 1 near Turtle Islands, which had been declared as a marine sanctuary.

Goltiao said the arrested fishermen are now in the custody of the Provincial Committee on Illegal Entrants (PCIE) in the town of Bongao, the capital of Tawi-Tawi province.

Based on the report submitted to the Armm police office, the arresting team seized 19 live turtles and 108 carcasses of turtles including 50 pieces that were already dried.

The arrested fishermen were reportedly all from the province of Hainan in China.

Goltiao said the presence of the arrested Chinese fishermen poaching in Turtle Islands was discovered by Pasu Minda Bairulla, an environment officer based in Taganak Island, who immediately reported the mater to the police.

The police, marines, coastguard and navy are closely working together to protect the turtles from poachers in the area.

Turtle Islands is a municipality that consists of a remote group of islands in the province of Tawi-Tawi.

Access to the Turtle Islands is difficult as there are no regular means of transportation to the area.

The islands are located at the southwestern tip of the country, at the edge of the international treaty limits separating the Philippines and Malaysia. 

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