Police collar six men for sales of LPG-refilled butane canister

RSOG-7 and RID-7 policemen confiscated butane canisters that were loaded in a truck owned by Joven Tercio of Liloan town. /Benjie Talisic

MANDAUE CITY, Philippines–Six men were arrested by police for selling P154,000 worth of Liquified Petroleum Gas (LPG)- refilled butane canisters in three separate operations in Mandaue City earlier today, June 5, 2019.

Arrested were Joven Tercio, 38, Alejandro Malaran Jr., 27, Jimuel Tejas, 26, Reynan del Castillo, 38, Janvier Teves, 37, and Abel Gonzaga, 46.

The joint police team consisting of personnel from the Central Visayas offices of the Regional Intelligence Division (RID-7)  and Regional Special Operations Group (RSOG-7) recovered a total of 3, 203 LPG-refilled butane canisters worth P143, 988 and 454 empty canisters valued at P9, 988.

Cash amounting to P1,446 believed to be proceeds from the sales of illegal butane canisters was also recovered from the suspects possession.

Police Major Ricardo Tero, RSOG-7 chief, said that they planned the three operations after they received information on the rampant selling of  LPG- refilled butane canisters in Barangays Mantuyong and Centro in Mandaue City.

The police team first raided the store operated by Tercio in Sitio Asinan, Barangay Mantuyong, Mandaue City.  Tercio is a native of Barangay Catarman, Liloan town.

Police confiscated butane canisters from Tercio’s store and a canter truck containing butane that was park outside of his store and his helpers Malaran and Tejas.

From Tercio’s store, police proceeded to another store operated by Gonzaga that is also located in Barangay Mantuyong before they visited del Castillo’s store in the neighboring barangay of Centro.

Police also arrested Teves, who was identified as Gonzaga’s helper.

All of the six suspects are now detained at the RSOG-7 detention cell pending the filing of appropriate charges against them./dcb