Yesterday, a technician who works in Lake Independence passed by and dropped off a can of refrigerant that he purchased at an establishment at the corner of Vernon Street and Central American Boulevard. Now what was strange about this particular can of refrigerant was that it had a label, DuPont Suva 134a, and when that label was torn off, the can itself read DuPont Freon 12.
For those who do not know, Freon 12 is labeled by the Department of Environment as R-12, which is a refrigerant that is deemed too detrimental to the environment and the ozone layer, and as such should be phased out.
So the fact that this product has had a label placed over it with a label of a product that can be legally imported, has raised a few questions about possible shady business practices.
The refrigerator technician, Egbert Jones, who owns his own company, E. Jones A/C and Refrigeration Services in the Lake Independence area in Belize City, told Amandala that he has bought the 134a type refrigerant from several business establishments on Central American Boulevard.
He said that he previously received information that the refrigerant brand 134a had a new label and that this label was a front to bring in and distribute the illegal R-12. He said that he tore the label and what he found underneath was the true product being disguised: Freon 12.
He said that he came to Amandala about it because he could be in trouble with the law if he was caught with it.
Amandala has also come across one of the repackaged illegal refrigerants from a known major distributor, but until we have spoken with them, we must withhold the name.
Jones told us one other reason he checked if it was the real product was because recently, he tried to use this product and for some reason, whenever he would check his A/C gauge to test the pressure that is known for the 134a brand, he was getting a wrong reading.
Amandala also spoke with the Department of Environment’s Ozone Officer, Leonides Sosa, who also confirmed Jones’ claims. He said that as of January 2010, it is illegal to import R-12; the remaining stock can be distributed, but when it finishes, no more of this product is allowed in Belize. He also said that disguising labels is a common tactic of smugglers who bring in illegal products into any country. He asked us where Jones purchased the refrigerant, and fortunately, Jones was able to provide that information.
Sosa said that there will be an investigation into the named business’ practices, and if it is found that the business owners acted unlawfully, then there could be charges levied against them.
On an interesting note, effective July 1, 2010, all A/C and refrigerating technicians will be required to register and get a license to practice their field of work. When this legislation comes into effect, according to Sosa, only registered refrigeration technicians will be able to buy refrigerants legally from the providers.