Man arrested on suspicion of smuggling fuel

A 23-year-old man from Northern Ireland has been arrested after HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) seized almost 20,000 litres of suspected laundered fuel hidden in fish containers.

HMRC Road Fuel Testing Unit officers were checking ferry traffic arriving at Gladstone Docks in Liverpool yesterday  when they uncovered 20 containers of diesel in a lorry.

The load, which had arrived by ferry from Dublin, was described as fresh fish. HMRC said the load represented a tax loss of £16,000.

Sandra Smith, assistant director, Criminal Investigation, HMRC, said: “Our activity today has stopped a large amount of illicit fuel entering the legitimate market, preventing further revenue loss and helping legitimate traders fight unfair competition. It is wrong that honest businesses should be undercut by criminals and those involved in making or selling laundered fuel. Fuel fraud is organised criminality.”