More than PHP800,000 worth of illegally-refilled Solane gas cylinders were confiscated following a series of raids in Isabela, Metro Manila and its nearby regions and Cebu.
According to the collated raid reports conducted from January to September of this year, more than 200 Solane cylinders were either emptied or repainted for illegal refilling.
More than a hundred were from Metro Manila, particularly the cities of Taguig, Mandaluyong, Pasig, Rizal and Paranaque combined.
Ninety-six were from Iligan and Santiago in Isabela, and 42 were from Laguna.
In a separate series of raids done last November, an additional 47 tanks were seized in Mandaue, Lapu-Lapu and Cebu City. All in all, the value of the items confiscated, including valves, vehicles and other items, amounted to PHP806,000.
Of the confiscated tanks, some were genuine Solane cylinders but were illegally-refilled and were spotted due to the fake seals used. In some cases, the tanks were repainted, and counterfeiters attached a metal plate bearing an “ISLA LPG” sign to deceive customers.
As a result, the LPG brand Solane urged consumers to keep an eye on fake LPGs and to be extra mindful of which LPG brands to trust, where to find them and how they could verify their quality and authenticity.
Only authorized LPG dealers bear the brand’s name in their physical branches, and display government certifications inside their stores. Meanwhile, only verified LPG products like Solane carry the important markings such as the embossed brand name and the trademark of manufacturer that prove they are registered, the specific standards used, the date the cylinder was tested, the serial number or code number as well as the tare weight in kilograms, which is around 13 to 15kg or 11.5 to 14kg.