By AARON RECUENCO
Police seized P16.3 million worth of fuel, LPG, vehicles, and equipment and arrested 13 suspects in “paihi” and “pasingaw” schemes during an anti-pilferage raid in Lucena City on Monday, July 27.
PNP chief Gen. Jose Melencio C. Nartatez Jr. ordered commanders nationwide to intensify intelligence-driven crackdowns on oil pilferage, illegal fuel transfers, and unauthorized LPG refilling.
“This successful operation demonstrates the PNP’s firm commitment to dismantling illegal fuel operations that undermine our economy, endanger public safety, and deprive the government of legitimate revenues,” Nartatez said.
The raid, led by the Regional Special Operations Unit of PRO-4A with intelligence units and Lucena police, caught suspects siphoning petroleum products from tanker trucks into bulk containers and transferring LPG into cylinders inside a compound in Barangay Silangang Mayao.
Recovered were three tanker trucks, two Isuzu ELF trucks, a Mitsubishi Fuso truck loaded with 10,000 liters of LPG, thousands of liters of diesel, 285 LPG cylinders, hoses, pumps, and other equipment.
Police Brig. Gen. Dominic Baccay, PRO-4A director, said the operation stemmed from weeklong surveillance after a tip-off. He noted the suspects sourced fuel from a depot in Sariaya, Quezon, supplying small gas stations nearby.
Authorities said the suspects’ modus, paihi (gasoline/diesel pilferage) and pasingaw (illegal LPG transfers), violates Presidential Decree No. 1865 or the Oil Pilferage Law and Republic Act No. 11592 or the LPG Industry Regulation Act.
