Potential profits fuel new plants

There have been a series of recent raids and seizures of hundreds of thousands of litres of oil, but the potential profits mean new plants are always springing up.

August 2002: 25,000 litres seized at Ravensdale, Co Louth, at a plant with a potential capacity to launder 50,000 litres a day.

March 2002: Plant consisting of three overground tanks and one huge underground tank discovered in Kilcurry, Co Louth. Total capacity of hundreds of thousands of litres and ability to launder three to four hundred thousand litres of oil per week. Other seizures were made in the same area in January and February.

December 2001: Search and seizure at two laundries along with 100,000 litres of diesel in Co Monaghan.

September 2001: Plant in Rassan, Co. Louth, had the capacity to produce up to 250,000 litres of laundered oil each week. More than 50,000 litres of oil seized. There were 10 seizures in Meath, Monaghan and Louth in 2001.