A MAN has been arrested and released on bail following the discovery of what is thought to be the largest fuel laundering plant yet uncovered in Northern Ireland or Britain.
Customs officers, who discovered the plant along with PSNI officers, say the huge facility near Crossmaglen in south Armagh was capable of producing some 30 million litres a year. Also found at the scene were some 37,000 litres of illicit fuel, 21,000 litres of toxic waste, acids, pumps, storage tanks and piping among other equipment. Waste was also stored in a large underground slurry pit. The discovery was made at farm buildings on Tuesday but details were released only yesterday.
Its proximity to the Border suggests the potential loss of revenue to the exchequers in both parts of Ireland is measured in tens of millions.
John Whiting, assistant director of criminal investigation at the UK’s Revenue and Customs said: “The sheer size of this illegal operation is staggering and far exceeds anything we have ever come across before.
“This activity would have generated massive revenue loss as well as tonnes of toxic waste. Its economic and environmental impact on Northern Ireland would have been considerable.” Spokeswoman Clare Merrills added that the illegal operation was some three times larger than anything else yet uncovered by Customs authorities.
“This particular site was capable of producing enough fuel to take a family saloon car to the moon and back over 40 times a year,” she said. “This was a huge plant that we have closed down, but it’s just one of a number we have found in recent months.”
Mr Whiting added: “This operation shows the success of multi-agency co-operation in tackling fuel fraud and why we will continue to work with our partners, as part of the Organised Crime Task Force, in the fight against organised crime.”
Fuel laundering plants of this type process diesel fuel which is tainted with a coloured marker to distinguish it from the car diesel fuel sold legitimately at filling stations.
The fuel is stripped of the green dye used in the Republic or the red dye used in Northern Ireland and then sold on illegally at a profit. However, the acids used in removing the government markers is known to be damaging to normal diesel engines.
Diesel fuel is sold at between £1.35 and £1.41 per litre in the North and can be up to 20 cent per litre more expensive than in the Republic.