Philippines releases 11 Bangladeshi seamen

Philippines releases 11 Bangladeshi seamen
July 3rd, 2018 https://www.dhakatribune.com/bangladesh/foreign-affairs/2018/07/03/phili...

This file photo, released by Filipino navy, shows the cargo ship Diamond 8 and its crew of different nationalities. photo: Mindanao Examiner
Along with them, four Chinese and 51 Philippines nationals were detained by the Filipino navy on April 11

Eleven Bangladeshi crew detained by the Philippines authorities from a Chinese ship were released on Tuesday, reports UNB.

After lots of efforts, charges against all the crew, including the Bangladeshis have been dropped and the ship has been allowed to leave the port, confirmed a source at Bangladesh mission in the Philippines.

The crew left Zamboanga port in Mindanao Island and will leave for Vietnam on Tuesday.

On April 11, the Filipino navy detained 11 Bangladeshi, four Chinese, and 51 Philippines nationals from the sea of the southern province of Zamboanga Sibugay, Philippines, when their cargo ship MV Diamond 8 was intercepted.

The Chinese flag merchant ship was carrying 27,180 bags or 1,359 tons of rice worth nearly Philippine Peso 68 million from Vietnam. The navy challenged the vessel while it was trying to unload the goods offshore.

The Bangladeshi nationals were held as they failed to show valid documents, including passports, said officials of Bangladesh foreign ministry and shipping department.

The ship’s captain Lin Yang Yin, a Chinese national, who was supposed to keep the legal documents on behalf of the team, failed to produce any document.

Since then, the vessel, which was handed over to the Customs Authority Philippines, has been kept at inner anchorage of Zamboanga port.

Since mid 2017, Philippines banned rice import to protect local farmers. All those crew members are now living in the ship since no charge has been brought against them as of yet.