Fuel laundering plant found in County Armagh

HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) and the PSNI have dismantled a suspected fuel-laundering plant during a joint operation in County Armagh.

The operation was carried out last night, during which, officers discovered the plant

in a rural building close to a public road in an area where acid waste has recently been dumped and recovered at great public expense.

During the operation, in excess of 4 tonnes of highly toxic acid waste was removed from the plant with some of it being found in an underground concrete slurry pit that showed signs of corrosion.

There was also evidence of leakage of this toxic waste into the surrounding countryside.

HMRC and the PSNI have estimated an output of around 150,000 litres per week with a potential annual revenue loss of nearly £3.5 million.

HMRC Senior Manager, Pat Curtis said: "This is the second fuel laundering plant we have dismantled in the last 48 hours. This is not just about organised criminality, with a few individuals lining their own pockets. For every 10,000 litres of fuel laundered a tonne of toxic waste is produced which is then indiscriminately dumped in our countryside.

"People need to be aware of the environmental and safety issues surrounding laundering plants. They need to consider what happens to the waste by product and the damage caused by contamination to arable land and our water and rivers."

Mr Curtis continued: "This HMRC and PSNI operation shows how joint working, as part of the Organised Crime Task Force, has stopped a substantial amount of harmful diesel entering the legitimate fuel market and affecting honest businesses."

During the operation a van, which had been adapted for transporting the fuel was seized along with, a forklift truck, a tanker, a Daf lorry running on contaminated fuel, a generator and pumps.

A number of storage tanks some containing contaminated fuel were also seized

Police and Customs are carrying out investigations into the discovery, however no arrests have been made as yet.

The HMRC has appealed to anyone with any information on any fuel misuse or suspicious activities in their area to contact them on their freephone hotline 0800 59 5000, alternatively contact police on 0845 600 8000, or anonymously on the Crimestoppers number on 0800 555 111.

(EF/SP)