An underground fuel tank containing thousands of litres of laundered diesel was discovered during a raid on a filling station in Co Donegal yesterday.
Customs officials said that when they raided the station, at an undisclosed location in the east of the county, a man was found filling the 20,000-litre tank from a lorry tanker.
The steel-bodied lorry, which had been modified to carry bags of peat moss, was found to have a false floor which enabled it to carry 4,500 litres of fuel.
A Revenue spokeswoman said "a sophisticated electronic switching system" was also found buried underneath a layer of gravel. The system was designed to allow the diesel pumps to be fed from both the concealed and regular fuel tanks. The lorry and approximately 6,000 litres of fuel were detained and removed from the premises.
A man was arrested at the scene and a file on the matter is being prepared for the Director of Public Prosecutions.
The Revenue Commissioners said the laundering of diesel defrauds the State of VAT and excise duty, as well as creating environmental and safety issues.
"They [fuel launderers] need to consider what happens to the waste byproduct and the damage caused by contamination to arable land and our waters and rivers.
"Chemicals used during the laundering process remain in the oil and can cause severe damage over a period to vehicle engines and fuel pumps," the Revenue spokesman said.
