Over 14 tonnes of toxic waste found in Co Armagh

Following the closure of a diesel laundering plant, HM Revenue and Customs found over 14 tonnes of toxic waste.

The revenue officers found that a company had been illegally storing over 25 million litres of illicit fuel, u.tv reports.

The plant was found in the Jonesborough area, a small village and civil parish in the Ring of Gullion in County Armagh, Northern Ireland.

Not only is this dangerous to the environment, the company was also evading over £18 million in taxes and duty a year.

The effects on the environment could be fatal, as John Whiting, assistant director, criminal investigation for HMRC claimed that laundering taking place underground poses a real risk of contamination in the surrounding countryside.

"Every illegal laundering operation typically generates tonnes of toxic waste, which causes significant environmental and safety risks.

"Buying illicit fuel funds crime and supports and encourages these dangerous activities within our communities. We are all paying the substantial cleanup and disposal costs, so the only winners are the criminals," he added.

"We are working in partnership with our colleagues in the Organised Crime Task Force and I would urge anyone with information on fuel misuse in their area to contact our free telephone hotline - 0800 59 5000 - and contribute to the fight against this criminality," he urged.

The tanker, pumps and other equipment have all been removed from the area.

According to David Ford, justice minister and chair of the Organised Crime Task Force, the teams have done excellent work in finding and removing the

"I commend HMRC and PSNI officers on discovering this underground fuel laundering plant. This success shows the important role that the OCTF has in defeating crime and protecting our community," he said.

"It is important that operations like this are detected and shut down."