Revenue has uncovered a fuel-laundering plant in Monaghan.
Revenue officers carried out a search, under warrant, over the course of Friday, December 18th, and Saturday, December 18th of a residential premises and outbuildings in Agnaglogh, Castleshane, Co Monaghan.
Revenue’s Customs Service and An Garda Síochána under the auspices of the cross border Joint Agency Task Force (JATF) carried out the intelligence-led operation targeting mineral oil laundering.
Also, to ensure the safety of the public, Monaghan County Council Fire & Civil Protection provided critical support services.
During the course of the operation, a distillation plant for the purposes of laundering marked mineral oil was discovered. Some of the other items seized included:
- 33,000 litres of mineral oil
- a lorry with an 18,000-litre oil tank
- a generator, pumps, hoses and a filtering system
- 10,000 litres of mineral oil sludge, which is a by-product of the laundering process.
“A man was interviewed, under caution, by Revenue and investigations are ongoing with a view to prosecution. For operational reasons, no further information is being made available at this time.”
Search in Armagh
Simultaneously, Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) searched, under warrant, a premises in Annaghdad Rd, Crossmaglen, Co. Armagh.
Three individuals were arrested and cash amounts estimated to be in the region of €35,000 and £6,000, along with a car, were seized as part of the operation.
The collaboration across all agencies was significant in the successful outcome of this operation.
These joint operations are part of on-going multi-agency, cross-jurisdictional work targeting fuel smuggling and shadow economy activity.
