After blasts kill 4, Customs to probe propane gas components

Santo Domingo.- Customs director Fernando Fernandez revealedTuesday that the composition of propane gasconsumed in the country will be investigated to determine if there is a linkwith recent fatal blasts in three stations.

The official’s announcement comes just hours after thedeath of one of the people severely burned in the explosion of the propane gas stationMariot Gas, in Santo Domingo. Four people in three different explosions havedied thus far.

He said more than RD$200 million in tax evasions by fuel smugglershave been detected in recent months.

"There will be appropriate laboratory investigationsto rule out if the accidents at fuel stations are from any component outsidethe common propane sold in the Dominican Republic," Fernandez said.

Scientific and professional instruments will be used toconduct the probe, and "we won’t discarded or confirm anything until theprocedure is concluded."

Fernandez said at least five companies that market fuelsare being investigated in connection with products smuggled into the country, evadingtaxes. "We have determined that evaded payments exceeding 200 millionpesos was detected in the last three months with irregular fuel declarations toCustoms authorities.”

“For example these companies declared gasoline as regularto the port authorities, and yet it was premium gasoline, which must pay ahigher tariff," Fernandez said.

He said thanks to the scientific tools available to the Customslab, "we could detect this type of evasion of the fuel that reaches theDominican Republic."

Fernandez spoke in a press conference to announce a new website,which helps automatize customs procedures.