News

Police and customs in Northern Ireland have broken up a fuel laundering and smuggling ring. Five men have been arrested, and fuel trucks and fuel filtering equipment have been seized at sites across Northern Ireland. Police and customs believe the fuel was intended for sale to truck drivers in Northern Ireland and the UK.

Laundered fuel with its agricultural coloured marker removed is sold at a cheaper price than normal diesel, but it can cause severe damage to engines. Police spent several  months keeping the illegal operation under surveillance before making their move.

The problem of fuel laundering is compounded in Northern Ireland by cheaper fuel being smuggled in from the south. According to AA Roadwatch, the average price of a litre of unleaded fuel during July in Ireland was €1.33 (£1.05), while the UK average price for the same period was €1.51 (£1.20).

John Whiting, HMRC assistant director of criminal investigation, says: "This operation involved laundered diesel being transported and sold on to commercial users throughout Northern Ireland. These illegal sites and those involved are ripping off honest retailers, creating a cheap and unregulated supply, that they cannot compete with, and as taxpayers we are all being deprived of funds that could be used for essential services in our communities.

"By working together in partnership with our colleagues in the Organised Crime Task Force (OCTF), we can stop substantial amounts of harmful  diesel entering the legitimate fuel market."