Toxic waste removed from illegal fuel laundering plant

Chris Donegan • Published 31 Jan 2012 11:04

Police and Customs officers have raided an illegal fuel laundering plant at an industrial unit in Fivemiletown.

They removed over half a tonne of toxic waste produced during the laundering process and indiscriminately dumped at the site.

Five vehicles, 4,000 litres of laundered fuel and a quantity of bleaching earth were also seized during the operation on Saturday, January 21.

Graeme Anderson, Assistant Director of Specialist Investigations at HM Revenue and Customs, said: "Before buying cheap fuel motorists need to consider the real costs of laundered fuel. Safety features for handling any type of fuel are there for good reasons.

"Buying illicit fuel not only funds organised crime but supports and encourages these dangerous activities within our communities. The only winners are the criminals, profiting at the expense of honest businesses and costing us all, as taxpayers, millions of pounds every year. I would urge anyone with information to contact our free telephone hotline 0800 59 5000 and let us know of any suspicious activities or fuel misuse in their area," he stated.

Investigations into the laundering plant are ongoing.

Laundered fuel is diesel which has been filtered through chemicals or acids to remove the red or green dye indicating that it is for agricultural used only. The chemicals and acids remain in the fuel and damage fuel pumps in diesel cars.

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This article appeared in Impartial Reporter 31 Jan 12

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