According to the BBC, almost a third of fuel retailers in Northern Ireland sell fuels that have been contaminated. Most of this is laundered diesel, which is created by removing the marker dye from red diesel and then selling it on as normal diesel, although contaminated petrol has also been found on sale.
In addition to the laundered diesel, the BBC investigators also discovered that some fuel retailers are selling both petrol and diesel that has been contaminated with various substances, including paraffin, kerosene and paint thinner, in order to ‘stretch’ or ‘bulk out’ the fuel. Some forecourt retailers buying the fuel may be unaware that it is illegal as it can easily be passed off as normal, unadulterated fuel.
The illegal fuel can cause expensive damage to cars and can be difficult to detect. Maxol has even implemented special security checks on its forecourts to prevent the fuel fraud, including locking all of its tanks, only allowing Maxol personnel to make deliveries and conducting ad hoc checks.
