Eight men have been arrested and a large amount of toxic waste removed, as part of an investigation by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) into a suspected £3 million fuel laundering fraud.
Around 150 officers from HMRC carried out simultaneous searches of 20 business and residential addresses in the Watford, Hayes, Romford, Southend, Thurrock, Tonbridge and Southend reas yesterday morning and seized equipment believed to be a diesel laundering plant.
The laundering plant, with the potential to produce an estimated seven million litres of illicit fuel a year evading £3 million in revenue, was dismantled and around 100,000 litres of suspected laundered red, agricultural diesel seized along with a range of commercial and private vehicles as well as more specialised equipment used in the laundering process.
The eight men arrested were interviewed by HMRC and have been released under investigation.
A 56-year-old from Watford was one of those arrested. Three houses and four businesses were searched in the town.
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