Customs officers raid illegal oil de-treating plant

Updated at 6.48pm: Customs officers of the Diesel Oil Enforcement Division raided an illicit oil de-treating plant at Shan Ha Tsuen in Yuen Long on Tuesday, a spokesman said.

Officers intercepted a suspicious goods vehicle and seized 14,600 litres of de-treated oil on board. A 24-year-old male driver was arrested, the spokesman said.

It is believed the vehicle was used to convey de-treated oil to the northern part of the New Territories for sale at illegal oil refilling stations, he said.

Officers also smashed an operation using an altered container, suspected to be an oil de-treating plant. They seized 900 litres of de-treated oil, a batch of oil de-treating equipment, pumps and plastic pipes, he said.

The seized goods were worth about $130,000 and the illicit oil carried a duty potential of $46,000.

The spokesman warned that use of illicit oil was a criminal offence.