Alliance Leader and local MLA David Ford has praised the authorities on their action against a fuel laundering site that was described as ‘an environmental timebomb waiting to go off’. The site is in Crumlin in County Antrim and 18 tonnes of toxic sludge were removed.
David Ford said: “This was an absolute disaster waiting to happen. I want to congratulate HM Customs on this find and encourage anyone with information on operations like this to contact police immediately to prevent potential environmental catastrophes from happening.
“The amount of toxic sludge found at this site is both staggering and frightening given the impact this material could have had on local wildlife and our rivers.
“Tackling fuel fraud is one of the key objectives of the Organised Crime Taskforce, which I chair. I am committed to working in partnership with all law enforcement agencies to bring all those responsible for this crime to justice.
“Protecting our environment is vitally important not just for future generations but also for our economy, particularly our tourism industry.”
ENDS