Four men have been arrested this month after fuel laundering plants costing the Government £3.5 million a year in lost tax were dismantled in Northern Ireland.
Nine premises were raided in County Tyrone, where customs and police uncovered two mobile laundering units and a third one being built. During the searches in Coalisland, Sixmilecross, Carrickmore, Pomeroy and Dungannon more than 70,000 litres of fuel, five vehicles, tanks and pumping equipment were recovered. Eight tonnes of a bleaching agent used to shift dyes and markers from diesel was also impounded.
John Whiting, assistant director of criminal investigation for Northern Ireland revenue and customs, said the mobile plants were a crude attempt to avoid detection but also very dangerous. "Transporting fuel in this way poses a risk to anyone in the vicinity, with illegal profit the sole motivation. The fact that unsecured tanks full of flammable fuel are being driven around on our roads shows utter contempt for the safety of other people."
In an unconnected raid, a large laundering plant was dismantled in the Randalstown area of County Antrim. Authorities removed 1.5 tonnes of toxic waste and equipment from the site which was equipped to produce three million litres of fuel a year. Michael Hatch from the Northern Ireland Environment Agency said almost 20 tonnes of toxic waste was removed. "This by-product is highly polluting and grossly harmful. It contaminates land but is particularly toxic when it enters rivers or lakes as it can travel far and cause contact damage to the skin. It can also enter the food chain."
