CIDG raids warehouse in Consolacion, seizes P285M worth of gas cylinders

These are the hoarded gas cylinders inside the warehouse of a multigas company, which the CIDG raided on Sunday. | Futch Anthony Inso

LAPU-LAPU CITY, Cebu, Philippines — P285 million worth of gas cylinders and paraphernalia were confiscated by authorities inside a warehouse of a Multigas Company at Barangay Danglag, Consolacion, Cebu.

Operatives of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG)-Anti-Fraud and Commercial Crimes Unit (AFCCU) and CIDG-7 conducted the raid on October 22, 2023 as part of the CIDG’s implementation of its flagship program, “Oplan Ligas”.

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Search warrant

The operation was based on the search warrant issued by Judge Lucila Cad-Enjambre of Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 89 in Mandaue City against Cebu Rufrance Multigas Corp.

CIDG-AFCCU served the search warrant, together with the private complainants from REGASCO, Philcan Refilling Plant Inc., FMZ LPG Center, and Solid R Cheaper Gas, which resulted in the arrest of 22 workers and confiscation of evidence.

CDN Digital sought the comment of Cebu Rufrance Multigas Corp., however, no one was available to answer the issue.

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Three weeks surveillance

According to Police Colonel Bernard Lao, head of CIDG-AFCCU, they placed the warehouse under three weeks of surveillance, after they received a complaint from the private complainants.

He said that the multigas company was hoarding the canisters/cylinders owned by their competitors, instead of swapping them back to them.

Lao said that these cylinders were destroyed and pressed by a machine, wherein they were shipped and melted, and sold to a company in China.

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The CIDG operatives raid a multigas firm in Consolacion who is accused of hoarding its rivals gas cylinders. | Futch Anthony Inso

Evidence confiscated, persons arrested

Among the evidence confiscated were refillable gas cylinders of more or less 7 million pieces owned by the company’s competitors; one unit of Isuzu Elf with plate no. KAL9969 with built-in Power Generator; one unit Isuzu Truck with plate no. KAJ7698 with built-in Pressing Machine; eighteen units of head valve remover (decrimping) tools; and one piece ledger containing the attendance of workers. 

The arrested persons together with the confiscated pieces of evidence are brought to CIDG 7 for proper documentation and disposition before filing a complaint for violation of Republic Act (R.A.) 623 as amended by RA 5700 or “An Act to Regulate the use of Duly-Stamped or Marked Bottles.”

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Support to DOE’s campaign

“This operation is the support of the CIDG to the Department of Energy’s campaign against illegal trade of petroleum products,” said Police Major General Romeo Caramat Jr., CIDG Director.

“Anumang unregulated, substandard, o hindi awtorisadong mga produktong petrolyo ay maaaring maglagay sa panganib hindi lamang ang ng ating pamilya kundi pati na rin ang ating komunidad. Kaya patuloy kaming nanawagan sa publiko na maging mapanuri at makakaasa kayo na ang inyong kapulisan ay magsasagawa ng malawakang operasyon laban sa mga ito,” said Police Major  General Caramat.

(Any unregulated, substandard or not authorized petroleum product can put in danger not only our family but also our community. So we continue to call on the public to be always observant and you can count on us police to conduct an operation against this.)

These are equipment used in the operation of the raided multigas firm in Consolacion town in northern Cebu. | Futch Anthony Inso

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Losses to competitors of raided firm

Jhon Velasco, owners of Blueflame, Filcan Refilling Station, and Tripler Solid R Corp., said that the hoarding of the cylinders had resulted to their losses and had minimized their presence in the market.

Each cylinder cost around P40 each, excluding the taxes that they were paying, Velasco said.

“Ang value ana is around 40 pesos, puhonan pana. Multiplied by the quantity which is like estimated 7 million pesos plus, kay naa pamay mga valve nga naa sa sawog,” Velasco said.

(The value of that is around 40 pesos, and that is just the capital. Multiplied by the quantity, which is like estimated 7 million pesos plus, because we still have the valve that is on the floor.)

P20M loss

Sheila May Zenith, brand owner of Botin, also said that they estimated their losses at around P20 million from the cylinders that were hoarded by Cebu Rufrance Multigas Corp.

She also thanked the CIDG for the immediate action on their complaint.

“Paspas lang gyud kaayo na-resolve ang case. Usa pa, ang atong informants and atong witnesses were very cooperative, so we successfully penetrated the warehouse,” Zenith said.

(The case was quickly resolved. One thing, our informants and witnesses were very cooperative, so we successfully penetrated the warehouse.)