The recent discovery of a fuel laundering plant with the potential to produce approximately 10 million litres of washed fuel a year is further evidence of how widespread this illegal activity is in the border region according to MEP for Cavan and the North East, Jim Higgins.
The plant, located in the Whitegate region of Virginia, was situated in a large yard that had been adapted to conceal the illegal activates behind a private dwelling. In a raid on March 28 Gardaí and Customs officers seized two vans, bleaching earth, a compressor, a large quantity of laundered fuel and ancillary equipment.
"While the practice of washing diesel illegally is more common along the Armagh-Monaghan border, it is affecting the entire country. However, publicising successful raids such as this one in Cavan and last year's operations in Roscommon, Galway, Offaly and Dublin send a very clear message to criminals," Mr Higgins said.
"Contaminated diesel can cause serious damage to vehicles and people must be wary of what they are knowingly or unknowingly putting into their vehicles. Engine failure in new cars has been reported with repairs costing between €2,500 and €15,000, depending on the scale of the damage," said Mr Higgins, a member of the European Parliament's Transport Committee.
Illegal fuel laundering costs the government in excess of €150 million every year in lost tax revenue but steps are in place to cut down on the practice with the forthcoming Finance Bill 2012 requiring every trader producing, holding, dealing in, or delivering marked gas oil or marked kerosene to hold an official marked fuels trader's licence, thus providing additional legislative back-up for authorities.