Manila, July 12 -- Authorities arrested seven individuals and seized PHP62.2 million worth of diesel fuel and a tugboat during an intensified campaign against the illegal petroleum trade in Barangay Wawa, Batangas City, the Philippine National Police (PNP) said in a news release on Sunday.

The joint operation by the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group Regional Field Unit 4A (CIDG RFU4A) and Batangas, and the Batangas Maritime Police led to the arrest of the suspects engaged in the sale and trade of diesel fuel without the necessary license from the Department of Energy.

During the operation on July 9 and 10, authorities also recovered a tugboat carrying 31,199 liters of diesel fuel, five plastic containers loaded with additional...