Suspected diesel laundering plant at Bootle seized
TWO suspected diesel laundering plants, capable of evading an estimated £12m in duty between them, have been dismantled by HM Revenue and Customs in Merseyside and Essex.
The discovery of the plants, which are capable of producing 20 million litres of illicit fuel a year, is connected to activity by Kent Police, investigating the theft of fuel from commercial pipelines in the UK.
During a series of multi-agency operations last week, HMRC, accompanied by officers from Merseyside Police, searched commercial premises in the Bootle area where they discovered a laundering plant in an industrial unit.
In coordinated activity, HMRC and officers from Kent Police searched a number of commercial premises in the Upminster and West Thurrock areas of Essex and uncovered a second fuel laundering facility.
Pat Curtis, national oils Co-ordinator, HMRC, said: “Every illegal diesel laundering operation typically generates tonnes of toxic waste and robs UK taxpayers by evading fuel duty. Taxpayers are not only missing out on the stolen tax that ends up the pockets of the criminals, but will have to pay the substantial clean-up and disposal costs.
“Buying illicit fuel not only funds crime, it supports and encourages these dangerous activities within our communities.”
Investigations into the seizures are continuing. At the plant at Bootle the investigators found: 18 1,000 litre industrial containers containing laundered fuel waste in a 40 ft curtain-sided lorry; 13 1,000 litre industrial containers; 60 to 70 industrial containers inside a further shed; products for laundering fuel; around 100,000 litres of untested diesel, a large tanker truck and a pallet of laundering product.
