A DIESEL LAUNDERING plant in Co Monaghan was uncovered yesterday by Department of Agriculture officers and gardaí investigating alleged use of so-called “angel dust”.
Gardaí confirmed that a quantity of what is believed to be liquid angel dust, a substance that can be used as an illegal growth promoter in cattle, was recovered when they accompanied members of the special investigations unit in the Department of Agriculture on to land near Ballybay early yesterday.
Searches were carried out under warrants obtained at Carrickmacross District Court, gardaí said.
Two men were arrested in relation to diesel laundering and were last night still in custody at Carrickmacross Garda station.
Diesel laundering involves a process of removing the dyes added to untaxed diesel fuel, to enable it to be sold illegally as regular fuel at a substantial mark-up.
During the searches the diesel-laundering plant was discovered and was described as “unique” in that it used rows of 20ft bales of straw to conceal the tanks and other equipment used to launder the fuel.
A Customs source said the bales were on a moveable frame.
The source also warned of the huge dangers firefighters would have faced if called to deal with a reported fire in bales of straw, unaware that “highly volatile” diesel-laundering tanks were there.
The plant had the capacity to launder about four million litres of fuel per annum, with a potential loss to the exchequer of €1.8 million per year, according to a Revenue spokesperson.
Some 36,000 litres of fuel, bleaching earth, two oil tankers and one grain lorry with a concealed tank at the plant were seized, along with 5,000 litres of toxic waste.
Staff from the environmental division of Monaghan County Council were called to remove the toxic sludge, while in Co Louth the local authority called in contractors to remove and properly dispose of 6,000 litres of sludge dumped in a rural location.