Butane refilling ‘factory’ raided; 3 people nabbed

Refilled butane canisters are prohibited under a Cebu provincial ordinance.
CDN FILE PHOTO

MINGLANILLA RAIDS

Thousands of butane canisters, hundreds of tanks of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and butane refilling equipment were confiscated when authorities raided two warehouses which were used as a butane refilling “factory” in Minglanilla town in southern Cebu last Friday.

Three persons were also arrested in last Friday’s operations, which started with a raid on a sari-sari store selling canisters refilled with butane in Barangay Tulay.

Supt. Dexter Calacar, Minglanilla Police Station chief, said that they arrested Roger Amadio, 47, where 2,950 canisters refilled with butane gas and 1,140 empty canisters were confiscated in his store.

Calacar said that selling refilled butane canisters is banned in the province, which has an ordinance prohibiting the selling of butane gas inside canisters to prevent fire incidents caused by exploding refilled butane canisters.

PO3 Tajer Rajab of the Minglanilla Police Station said that during the questioning of Amadio, he revealed where he got his supply.

This led to the raid in two warehouses which turned out to be a butane refilling “factory” in Barangay Vito.

Rajab said that they arrested two workers – Razel Gaballo, 21, of Moalboal town in southern Cebu and Logie Gabuya, 36, of Davao City – who were inside one of the warehouses during the raid.

Rajab said that the police team confiscated 1,330 canisters refilled with butane, 2,668 empty canisters, and 419 assorted LPG tanks, three butane refilling machines, four compressors, a fire extinguisher and two multicab vehicles at the two warehouses.

Rajab said that the warehouse owner, whom the arrested workers identified as Maria Amor Mahinay, was not around during the raid.

He also said that the workers told them that they were still securing documents from the courts for their butane refilling operation.

Rajab also said that representatives from the Department of Energy in Central Visayas (DOE-7) and Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office (Penro) accompanied the police during the raids.

The three suspects arrested were detained at the Minglanilla Police Station pending the filing of charges against them.