It's Now Fuel Laundering
WE know money laundering, but fuel laundering? Three fuel-laundering plants discovered last week demonstrated the risks fuel fraud present to the public. HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) officers investigated a building destroyed by fire, unsafe fuel tanks transported on roads and half a tonne of dangerous waste indiscriminately dumped.
Graeme Anderson, Assistant Director Specialist Investigations, HMRC said:
“Before buying cheap fuel, motorists need to consider the real costs of laundered fuel. Safety features for handling any type of fuel are there for good reasons. Buying illicit fuel not only funds organised crime but supports and encourages these dangerous activities within our communities. The only winners are the criminals, profiting at the expense of honest businesses and costing us all, as taxpayers, millions of pounds every year.”
Laundered fuel is red (or green) diesel, which has been filtered through chemicals or acids to remove the government marker. The chemicals and acids remain in the fuel and damage fuel pumps in diesel cars.
Red diesel is marked gas oil or a rebated fuel for use in agricultural machinery and not for use in road vehicles. Green diesel is the Republic of Ireland equivalent of the UK's red diesel.