Customs officers in Northern Ireland yesterday seized 17,000 litres of fuel following raids on seven premises in the Belfast and Newry areas. The raids form part of an operation targeting the sale of illegal fuel.
No arrests were made during the searches, which were supported by officers from the Police Service of Northern Ireland.
Five sites in the greater Belfast area and two sites on the outskirts of Newry were targeted by revenue and customs staff during the operation, with the first raid taking place at 11am. The fuel on sale was tested and removed.
The raids targeted "huckster sites" which sell fuel to the public. These can range from a simple petrol pump and tank on the side of a road to larger filling stations which frequently have no branding and refuse to take credit cards.
The illegal fuel trade has strong links with organised crime as smuggling and selling laundered fuel requires a distribution network.