HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) have this month continued their battle against illegal dumping of waste in Northern Ireland, by dismantling a large fuel laundering plant in County Armagh. In a joint operation with police, 21,000 litres of illegal fuel were seized and 7 tonnes of toxic waste removed from the Cullyhanna site. A 40ft tanker and a 10,000 litre storage tank were also seized, along with other items. The estimated output of the plant was around 210,000 litres per week, with a potential revenue of almost £7 million.
This follows on from 2 successful prosecutions for similar offences, as reported in last month's bulletin, and reflects an increasing problem of keeping and dumping illegal waste in the countryside of Northern Ireland. Maggie Eyden of HMRC, said "people need to be aware of the environmental damage that can be caused by the indiscriminate dumping in our countryside of waste products from laundering processes."
