Barry Lennon
The office of the Revenue Commissioner has revealed that it has shut down three illegally operating petrol stations in Dublin this year to date and 12 in the capital during 2011.
These figures have been given to The Liberty, after the discovery of one of the largest fuel laundering operations in the state earlier this month.
Two plants, large enough to launder 20 million litres of fuel a year, were discovered by Revenue’s Customs service in Monaghan and Louth.
Oil laundries such as these, remove the dye from lower taxed agricultural fuel and sell it to petrol stations all over Ireland.
This illegal fuel from border laundries can damage or destroy a car’s engine.
While the Revenue said it could not comment on whether any stations operating in Dublin were supplied by or linked to illegal laundering operations in border areas, it confirmed that petrol stations in Dublin were being investigated.
“We continue to monitor and challenge cases of non-compliance and the illegal sale of fuel,” a Revenue spokesperson stated.
The most recent closure of a Dublin fuel pump for not complying with fuel licence regulations was in August 2012.
When comparing this year’s number of garage closures to 2011’s it appears as if the clampdown on service stations operating illegally could be slowing down.
When asked about this possible reduction the Revenue replied that it ‘is successfully continuing to reduce the number of non-compliant garages.’