ILIGAN City— An abandoned wing van carrying an estimated ₱2.5 million worth of suspected copper ore has been seized in Iligan City after residents reported the vehicle had been left unattended for nearly two months.
Authorities recovered the truck during an operation at around 11:20 a.m. on Monday, July 27, in Purok 13, Timoga, Barangay Buru-un.
The operation involved personnel from the Iligan City Police Office, Regional Intelligence Division-10, Regional Intelligence Unit, Iligan City Mobile Force Company, Iligan City Police Station 2, and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR)-10 Community Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO).
Police said residents alerted authorities after noticing unidentified individuals had opened the rear of the truck and were allegedly attempting to steal its cargo.
Inspectors found around 500 sacks of suspected copper mineral ore inside the abandoned wing van. No driver or claimant was at the scene.
Initial checks also showed that no travel permit or other required documents authorising the transport of the mineral ore could be produced.
A deputised officer from the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB), together with DENR-10 CENRO Iligan, confirmed that the cargo consisted of about 500 sacks of suspected copper ore with an estimated market value of ₱2.5 million.
Authorities confiscated the wing van bearing plate number CBP 3807 along with the suspected mineral ore.
The seized items were inventoried and documented before being placed under the custody of Iligan City Police Station 2.
The truck and its cargo will be transported to Cagayan de Oro City for proper inventory and turnover following MGB protocols.
Police are continuing their investigation to determine the ownership and origin of the shipment and identify those responsible for transporting the suspected copper ore.
