HMRC urged to do more to tackle fuel fraud

A recent fuel plant found in Silverbridge

The Northern Ireland Affairs Committee has this week said customs officials should work harder to acquire new technology to tackle fuel fraud in Northern Ireland, helping to prevent red diesel from being sold illegally.

Sinn Fein councillor for Newry and Mourne Terry Hearty commented on the issue, “This has a serious cost on local councils and local councils pick up the tab for it. In the last year we have paid out between £80,000 and £100,000 to lift some of the residue.”

He continued, “There’s a site at Cullaville that hasn’t been touched yet, but it’s going to cost in the region of £40,000 to clear away. So the rate payers of Newry and Mourne would definitely see it as a serious crime.”

HMRC responded by releasing a statement, “HMRC has an effective strategy in place to tackle fuel fraud as shown by the fall in the estimated market share in Northern Ireland for diesel on which UK duty has not been paid from 52% in 2002/03 to 12% in 2009/10.”

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Posted by Declan McAteer on Apr 1 2012. Filed under News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry