The Philippine National Police (PNP) is investigating the possible involvement of a crime syndicate exploiting soaring oil prices through illegal fuel trade, locally known as “paihi.”
This follows a police operation in San Pablo City, Laguna, on Wednesday, April 8, where authorities intercepted an oil tanker carrying about 500 liters of fuel along with storage tanks, electric pumps, hoses, and containers.
Six suspects were arrested after allegedly being caught in the act of dispensing, hoarding, and adulterating petroleum products, in violation of the Oil Pilferage Law.
PNP chief Gen. Jose Melencio C. Nartatez, Jr. said the Laguna case could provide crucial leads in determining whether small-scale pilferage operations are linked to a broader criminal network.
“While we treat every case with specific focus, we are not setting aside the possibility that this is part of a larger syndicate. So far, there are initial findings that the incident is localized but our intelligence monitoring continues to determine if there is a wider network behind these operations,” Nartatez said.
On Tuesday, April 7, operatives of the Highway Patrol Group arrested nine people and seized around 65,000 liters of diesel after the interception of a tanker that led the police later to a cargo vessel containing more fuel at the Navotas Fish Port Complex .
Seized were almost P10 million worth of fuel.
With that kind of amount, police investigators are not discounting the possibility that there are groups or individuals financing the illegal fuel trade.
The two separate police operations added to a series of operations targeting schemes involving recycled fuel being redistributed through informal channels amid a shortage in oil supply due to tensions in the Middle East.
“We are currently cross-matching the profiles of the suspects arrested in Laguna with our database of previous ‘paihi’ operators in Navotas and nearby provinces,” said Nartatez.
“We want to find out if there’s a common denominator, or links among these illegal operations. If there is, then we will pursue them aggressively,” he added.
Nartatez called on the public to help authorities monitor suspicious movements involving fuel. (Aaron Recuenco)
