Customs officials in the North have seized a fuel laundering plant capable of producing millions of litres of illicit diesel.
Customs officials believe the operation in the Killeavey area near Newry,
could have defrauded the British Government out of nearly £9m a year. The raid follows a report by an an all-party group of MPs who revealed that the amount of legal fuel sold in the
North had declined by a half because of sales on the black market. Revenue and Customs' Head of Detection for Northern Ireland Maggie Elyden said: "We have stopped a substantial amount of harmful diesel from damaging engines and affecting honest businesses."
Officials confiscated 27,000 litres of illegal fuel as well as large quantities of toxic acid waste. A curtain-sided lorry with a tanker for transporting fuel was also seized as well as laundering equipment.
Ms Elyden added: "If this sophisticated operation to illegally remove the chemical markers in duty-rebated fuel had not been shut down, it would have meant an annual revenue loss of nearly £9m.
"This is revenue which should be going to our schools and hospitals, not into the pockets of a few individuals."
She urged motorists to be aware of environmental damage caused by dumping by-products from laundering. Acid can leak into fields and rivers.
She added: "Organised crime has a detrimental and harmful effect on all our communities as well as a damaging impact on our environment," she added. The Organised Crime Taskforce's annual report for 2005 showed that in 2003/04 there were 13 laundering projects disrupted, 901 vehicles seized and two gangs apprehended and broken up.
The Northern Ireland Affairs Committee urged Customs officials to do more to tackle the problem and said the amount of illegal fuel sold remained unacceptably high.