Fuel laundering and smuggling in Northern Ireland

by Great Britain: Parliament: House of Commons: Northern Ireland Affairs Committee, GreatBritainParliament: House of Commons

2012 · The Stationery Office

The Committee recognises the commitment and effort of individual HMRC officers in the fight against fuel crime in Northern Ireland, but says that as HMRC was allocated an additional £917 million in 2010-11 to bear down on tax avoidance and evasion across the UK, it should make a more concerted effort to eradicate the problem in Northern Ireland, where it is most prevalent. There is particular disappointment in the lack of progress on developing new "markers": chemicals added to fuel to mark it out as rebated, which are removed to enable it to be fraudulently sold at higher prices. Northern Ireland is estimated to have lost £70 million in 2009-10. Only five years ago this figure was as high as £250 million but fuel fraud remains a particularly serious problem for Northern Ireland. While 4% of diesel sold in GB is thought to be illicit, in Northern Ireland the comparable figure is estimated to be 12%. District councils in Northern Ireland foot the bill for cleaning up the harmful wastes left by laundering - about £330,000 in the last five years. The problem is also particularly acute in Northern Ireland because of links between organised criminal gangs and paramilitaries. The Committee is concerned at the apparent limited success of assets recovery as a deterrent. This lack of deterrence is exacerbated by the poor record for imposing custodial sentences in Northern Ireland. Between 2001 and 2009, only four people received custodial sentences for fuel fraud in Northern Ireland