Revenue officers have confiscated 55,000 litres of suspected illegal fuel during an operation targeting a distributor and two petrol stations in County Louth, authorities announced today.
The seizure followed an intelligence-led investigation by Revenue’s Customs Service, which had identified the stations as suspected sellers of laundered fuel. The seized product has been removed for further examination as part of the ongoing investigation.
In a statement addressing the operation, a Revenue spokesperson emphasized the serious implications of fuel fraud, describing the illicit fuel trade as “a serious threat to the Exchequer.”
“In addition to the monetary loss, both fuel smuggling and fuel laundering undermine the competitiveness of legitimate businesses, damage the environment, damage consumers’ vehicles, and help to sustain organised criminal networks,” the spokesperson added.
Fuel laundering typically involves the illegal removal of dyes from lower-taxed fuels (such as those intended for agricultural use) to sell them at higher prices while evading proper taxation.
Revenue officials confirmed that investigations into this case are continuing, with potential prosecutions to follow depending on the findings of their examination.