Illegal filling station shut down in Lancashire
A DIESEL laundering plant and illegal filling station in Lancashire capable of evading £14.5m in duty a year has been dismantled by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC).
HMRC and Lancashire Police swooped on commercial premises in Darwen and discovered the laundering plant amid suspicions up to 26m litres of fuel per year could have government markers removed and sold to unsuspecting motorists as legitimate road fuel.
National oils co-ordinator at HMRC Pat Curtis said: “Fuel laundering is a dangerous activity. We believe that fuel was stored, laundered and sold from this property without any safety precautions, endangering motorists buying fuel there.
“People may think buying illicit fuel is a bargain, but they have no idea what they’re getting, and you can be sure that you are lining the pockets of criminals. Each year £480mn is lost to fuel fraud in the UK, money that should be funding public services.
“We ask anyone with information about this type of activity to contact us on the Customs’ Hotline on 0800 59 5000.”
Two mixing tanks – each with a 71,000-litre capacity, 12,000 litres of suspected laundered fuel, a fork lift truck and other equipment were seized during the operation. Investigations are continuing.
Detective Sergeant Tim Brown from Lancashire Police said: “This joint investigation demonstrates how we work together with partner agencies such as HMRC to disrupt and dismantle criminal activity on this scale.
“Let me be clear, the laundering of red diesel is illegal and this type of activity can go further with those involved often being linked to other organised criminality. We will target those involved and need the public to work with us and ask them to report anything suspicious to us.”
