Customs officers backed up by gardaí launched a major operation yesterday near the Cavan/Monaghan border to crackdown on the illegal use of agricultural diesel.
In an operation lasting for several hours, the Revenue officers "dipped" the tanks of hundreds of cars, vans, mini-buses, and trucks to detect usage of tax-rebated diesel which is only permitted for agricultural engines.
A number of cases of suspected illegal fuel usage were reported from one checkpoint on the main road between Cootehill, in Co Cavan, and Cavan town .
The evasion of duty is thought to have risen in the wake of recent increases in the price of diesel at the pumps.
One Revenue spokesman said the number of illicit fuel doctoring depots near the Border, where the colouring is removed from tax-rebated fuel, was growing.
The product provides a large profit margin for unscrupulous filling stations, and many drivers, especially farmers, are using the tax-rebated fuel in their vehicles.
"They don't seem to realise that the penalties, if the usage of illegal fuel is detected in the tanks of their vehicles in use on the public road, can cost them several thousand euro."
The Revenue officers plan to step up their checks for the illegal use of the diesel throughout the State in the coming weeks.