Valenzuela trader arrested for selling illegal firecrackers

Police arrested a businessman and seized some P10,000 worth of imported firecrackers during an operation against prohibited pyrotechnics in Valenzuela City Friday night.

Superintendent Reynaldo Orante, Northern Police District-District Police Intelligence Unit (NPD-DPIU) chief, said Rogaciano Santos, 52, a resident of Barangay Arkong Bato was illegally selling banned firecrackers.

The contraband, placed inside several boxes, were made up mostly of “Super Lolo” and “pla-pla” with an estimated value of P10,000.

“The pyrotechnics came from China, and selling them in the country is illegal because these are harmful to users if not properly handled,” Senior Police Officer 2 Gumarcindo Cagnayo told The STAR.

Cagnayo said charges were filed yesterday against Santos before the Valenzuela City prosecutor’s office.

The DPIU police officers also discovered a small warehouse near Santos’ house that contained several boxes of imported and illegal firecrackers.

Orante said the confiscated firecrackers will be soaked in water to destroy them.

NPD director Chief Superintendent Pedro Tango urged residents yesterday not to buy illegal firecrackers, but rather use harmless noisemakers to welcome the New Year. – Pete Laude, Jerry Botial