IN ONE of the largest sweeps of its kind in the region, a multi-agency team swooped down on a business establishment in Barangay Canocotan, Tagum City, on Sept. 21, seizing 55 units of illegal right-hand-drive (RHD) minivans.
The Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG)-Davao del Norte, CIDG XI Regional Special Operations Team, Highway Patrol Group, SWAT, Regional Intelligence Division, Davao del Norte PMFC, Tagum City Police Station, and the Bureau of Customs-Davao City and LTO Central Office jointly served Search Warrant No. 367-2026 issued by Judge Gay Gerle T. Masepequeña-Peloton of the Regional Trial Court 11th Judicial Region in Tagum City, dated Sept. 15, 2026.
According to investigators, representatives of the establishment—identified in the records as an enterprise —failed to present pertinent legal documents or permits covering the dozens of RHD vehicles during the inspection.
An exhaustive on-site inventory and documentation process was immediately conducted in the presence of local witnesses, including barangay councilors.
While no individuals were arrested during the operation, authorities have secured the evidence and are gathering supplementary documents to fast-track preliminary investigations and subsequent criminal filings.
PLTCOL Ariel T. Huesca, acting regional chief of CIDG Davao del Norte, lauded the participating units for “Oplan Olea.” He stressed that the CIDG remains relentless in dismantling operations involving unlawful motor vehicles, ensuring that regulatory laws and public safety standards are strictly upheld across the region.
