A laundering plant and 25,000 litres of black market fuel has been seized by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) near the border in Northern Ireland. Tanks, three vehicles as well as filtration and storage equipment were also confiscated from the sophisticated illegal operation at Listrakelt Road near Keady, County Armagh, which could have cost the taxpayer around £3.3 million a year. A large quantity of toxic chemical by-product was also discovered.
Head of Detection for Northern Ireland Maggie Eyden said, "This waste is a danger for the local community, public health and the environment and is difficult and expensive to dispose of safely. People need to be aware of the potential damage that can be caused by the indiscriminate dumping in our countryside of the waste products from the laundering process."
A total of 10 tonnes of contaminated sludge, the hazardous chemical residue of the laundering process, were cleared from the site and it is estimated the facility could have produced 105,000 litres of laundered fuel a week. The issue of illegal fuel plants is an increasing problem in Northern Ireland, and is something we have covered in the April, May and June 2007 Monthly Bulletins. It is believed that thousands of motorists could be buying contaminated fuel everyday with around a third of all garages in Northern Ireland, often unwittingly, selling illegal fuel. Such fuel can consist of up to six substances, including heating oil and paint thinners.
