Ex-Bohol mayor linked to illegal fuel trade arrested

LILA, Bohol – The former mayor of this town was arrested Tuesday on charges for violating a presidential decree on the illegal selling of petroleum products.

The simultaneous raids were conducted on the house of Alfonso Lim and a warehouse on Graham Avenue, Cogon District, Tagbilaran City.

The raids were carried out by a team from the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG), the Department of Energy (DOE) and local policemen.

An estimated R2.8 million worth of butane canisters, liquefied petroleum gas tanks and other illegal gas refilling paraphernalia were seized during the raids.

The operation was carried out on the strength of search warrants issued by Judge Jennifer Chavez-Marcos of the Regional Trial Court Branch 2 and Judge Jorge D. Cabalit of Regional Trial Court Branch 1, all based in Tagbilaran.

Sr. Insp. Fritz Blanco, chief of the Bohol CIDG, said Lim was involved in the sale of LPG contained in butane canisters.

The teams seized 18,816 canisters, 4,424 of which were filled, 80 50-kilo filled LPG tanks and 111 empty 50-kilo tanks.

Police also took into custody a tenwheeler truck registered to Robert Velasco and butane refilling equipment including an air compressor, decanting device, refilling machine, three digital weighing scales and pipe connector.

According to the DOE, the use of refilled butane canisters is dangerous because butane is highly combustible.