Customs in Multi Agency Fuel Fraud Operation
Four arrests were made today (01/09/2011), in a major cross border, multi agency fuel fraud operation. Officers from Revenue's Customs Service, An Garda Siochána and the Criminal Assets Bureau, seized thousands of litres of laundered fuel from filling stations and uncovered an oil laundering plant.
In co-ordinated operations in counties Roscommon, Galway, Offaly, Westmeath and Dublin, Customs Officers, An Garda Siochána and CAB carried out searches at five filling stations, in which a total of 48,350 litres of laundered fuel was seized.
In Roscommon, officers seized 4,700 litres of fuel. In Loughrea, Co. Galway, 6,150 litres were seized. In Birr, Co. Offaly, officers seized 17,000 litres of fuel. In Athlone officers seized 11,500 litres of fuel and in Dublin 9,000 litres of laundered fuel was seized at one filling station in the Rathfarnham area.
In a simultaneous and co-ordinated operation in Corrygarry, Castleblayney, Co. Monaghan, Customs Officers supported by An Garda Siochána uncovered a significant oil laundering plant. The plant had the capacity to launder an estimated 18 million litres of fuel per annum with a potential loss to the Exchequer of €9m per annum. A laundering operation was underway at the time.
Customs Officers seized 95,000 litres of product at the site. Three tankers in which the product was held were also seized as well as two transit vans, a box lorry, a 40 foot tanker and an articulated lorry with a combined value of €55,000.
A man in his thirties from Northern Ireland was arrested at the scene.
In counties Armagh and Tyrone, HM Revenue and Customs supported by the PSNI, executed search warrants at four addresses.
Investigations are ongoing.
Revenue would like to take this opportunity to remind motorists and the public that they should be aware of the risks posed to their vehicles by using laundered fuel. It also takes much needed funds from the Exchequer; hurts legitimate trade and of course it is funding criminal activity.
[Ends 01/09/2011]