ZAMBOANGA CITY–Authorities have arrested three Hong Kong nationals in an island town in the province of Basilan, a top police official said Thursday.
Senior Supt. Rufino Inot, Basilan police director, identified those arrested as Tsz Kin Tsui 40, Wang Po, 33, and Chun Wai Ho, 32.
Inot said they were arrested by policemen around 6 p.m. Wednesday in Barangay Dasalan, Hadji Muhtamad, an island municipality formerly known as Pilas Islands.
Inot said they were arrested after the barangay officials of Dasalan reported to the police the presence of three foreigners in the area. He said the locals found their presence “highly questionable.”
Upon questioning, the police official said the the three claimed to have travelled aboard a double-engine speed boat from Hong Kong to Indonesia, and then to Hadji Muhtamad “to gas up there in going back to Hongkong.”
Inot said the Hong Kong nationals also claimed to have travelled to Thailand in February, this year, using the same means of transportation.
But police remain skeptical of the trio’s presence in the area, and were turned over to the Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom). The speed boat was impounded at Basilan Provincial Police Office. (Teofilo Garcia, Jr/PNA)
