Man quizzed after 'laundering ring' smashed
A man was being questioned tonight after a suspected fuel-laundering ring was smashed.
He was arrested following a seven-month undercover operation involving customs officials and police centred in Northern Ireland and the south of England.
Eleven premises were searched during a series of raids in Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire, Luton, London and the North.
Two petrol tankers, storage units and around 30,000 litres of fuel were all seized during the raids.
It is believed the rogue operation involved a tax evasion scam worth £500,000 (€733,000).
Customs officials said fuel had also been sold illegally to unsuspecting members of the public through a legitimate petrol station in Paddington, London.
The man being held was arrested in Hertfordshire and is expected to be the first of several suspects to be detained.
Jim Caldwell of HM Revenue & Customs said: “The success of this operation is the result of our determined effort, along with our partners in police forces around the UK, to disrupt and dismantle the illegal supply of fuel.
“Organised crime has a detrimental and harmful effect on all our communities as well as a damaging impact on our environment.
“We would urge anyone with information on fuel misuse or suspicious activities in their area to contact us in confidence straight away.”
