4 arrested in Compostela for illegally selling diesel fuel
Barrels containing diesel fuel being sold illegally in Compostela town. | Photo via Paul Lauro
CEBU CITY, Philippines – P130,000 worth of fuel products being sold illegally were seized in a compound in Compostela, north Cebu.
Agents from the National Bureau of Investigation in Mandaue City (NBI-Mandaue) on Wednesday, June 1, 2022 raided a compound in Barangay Canamucan, Compostela, which led to the arrest of four individuals, including its owner.
It stemmed from a complaint they received from a concerned citizen that the property was being used for ‘paihi’, the Cebuano term used to describe the practice of selling petroleum products without authorization from regulators.
The owner of the compound was identified as Dexter Pasaol. His three helpers, also caught in the act of illegally selling fuel, were among those arrested.
Bienvenido Panican, executive officer of NBI-Mandaue, said Pasaol and his workers have been illegally selling diesel fuel in Compostela for around three years.
Diesel fuel sold at their compound is priced at P65 per liter, cheaper compared to fuel being sold by accredited gas stations, which ranges between P79 to P80, said Panican.
A total of eight barrels containing diesel fuel were confiscated from Pasaol’s compound.
“They’ve just disposed of some of their stocks last week that’s why we only chanced upon eight barrels during the operation,” Panican said in Cebuano.
Findings from NBI-7 showed that a fuel tanker would usually stop at Pasaol’s compound.
“The company of this fuel products certainly doesn’t know that their products are being sold by their workers to these people,” added Panican.
In the meantime, NBI-7 urged consumers to avoid patronizing paihi, and other establishments selling petroleum products illegally.
“These stores are not authorized by the Department of Energy. Their products could be contaminated or adulterated, and that they may cause damage to your car and pose serious danger to the community,” Panican said.
Compostela is a third-class municipality located approximately 31 kilometers north of Cebu City.
/bmjo
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