Courts / Louth / Report

Louth man jailed for possession of cat litter used in fuel laundering

Date
2015-03-11

Stage
Sentence

Primary locality
Dunleer

County
Louth

Summary

Alan Rees, 31, of Tinure, Dunleer, was sentenced to 18 months in prison at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for possessing cat litter and other items used in a fuel laundering scheme that cost the Revenue €67,731. He pleaded guilty to possession of prohibited goods used to remove the green marker dye from agricultural diesel at Ballycoolin Business Park on 17 May 2013. The court noted the crime was serious and difficult to detect, and the judge refused to suspend part of the sentence or defer its start. Rees was found with a filtration system that used cat litter to strip the dye from green diesel, allowing it to be sold as fuel for cars. The operation was uncovered when a maintenance man noticed diesel fumes and cat litter in the unit, leading to a customs inspection.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Louth man jailed for possession of cat litter used in fuel laundering. Charges or matters: possession of prohibited goods used for removing the marker from mineral oil at Ballycoolin Business Park on May 17, 2013. Procedural stage: sentence

When:

May 17, 2013 Incident
2015-03-11 Publication

Why: Officer Michael McHugo told prosecuting counsel, Lorcan Staines B,L that the operation was uncovered when a maintenance man was sent to change the locks on the business unit because it had gone into receivership. CNI source report