Hundreds of vehicles were stopped during operation

A major crackdown against illegal fuel in Northern Ireland will mean a greater risk of motorists being caught, a minister has said.

The head of the Organised Crime Task Force, Jane Kennedy, warned that getting a bargain on cheaper fuel could result in a heavy fine.

The security minister was speaking during a visit to a checkpoint in Belfast set up to detect illegal fuel and make sure cars were roadworthy and taxed.

The Customs and Excise-led operation on Monday was codenamed Operation Journal.

It also involved the police, Driver Vehicle Licensing, Vehicle Clamping Unit, Automatic Number Plate Reader Unit, a DoE enforcement team, as well as three specialist road fuel testing units and an anti-smuggling team.

Ms Kennedy said: "Tackling oils fraud is a top priority of the Organised Crime Task Force.

"As well as the obvious loss of revenue to the exchequer, the criminals who deal in this fuel are endangering both the public and the environment through the dumping of waste product and chemicals which they use during the laundering process.

"They endanger public safety as they transport this potential fireball in highly dangerous, non secure vehicles and of course they threaten the very livelihood of the legitimate retailer."

Jane Kennedy: Issued warning on illegal fuel

The operation coincided with an advertising campaign which recognises the specific fuels fraud problem faced by the authorities in Northern Ireland.

The minister also had a warning for illegal road users.

She said: "Those people who drive while disqualified, or without proper tax or insurance, or whose cars are not of a roadworthy standard, are endangering the lives of other road users."

Senior customs officer Colm McAllister said companies caught using red diesel faced heavy financial penalties.

He added that when a commercial vehicle is detected with illegal fuel, officers carry out an audit of the company's entire fleet.

"In all cases where commercial companies are detected using illegal fuel, we then do a follow-up assessment with the companies themselves for previous illegal fuel use," he said.

"We go through the tachographs and look at the contracts for the years deliveries look at all their vehicle and calculate how many miles per gallon they have used."

The Organised Crime Task Force was announced by the secretary of state in September 2000.

Among its members are Customs and Excise representatives, the police, the NIO, Home Office and the Inland Revenue.

The Northern Ireland Office said that in July, a 12-day operation across the province uncovered 104 vehicles operating on illegal fuel - 59 were commercial and 45 were private.

This resulted in fines totalling �70,000.