‘Guy who took tanker would be shot if he didn’t’

The theft of 20,000 litres of green diesel from a tanker being stored at the army barracks in Dundalk is a snapshot of the world of smuggling and criminality along the border as well as the dangers faced by customs and the gardaí.

“The guy who took it was probably faced with being shot if he didn’t get it,” said one source.

The driver also faced the prospect of meeting one of the armed patrols which take place inside the barracks every night without advance warning.