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27 vehicles seized in
Inishowen
15.04.10
by Linda McGrory
VEHICLES with a market value of around €250,000 were
seized yesterday in Inishowen in a major VRT
clampdown by Revenue Customs & Excise.
A total of 27 vehicles were seized at three
checkpoints in Burnfoot, Bridgend and Muff that
began at 7am and lasted for several hours.
The owners of a further 45 vehicles were issued with
warnings to either pay the VRT or export their
vehicle from the State within seven days.
The wide-scale operation also resulted in the
detection of green diesel in four cars and vans, say
officials.
Revenue assistant principal of enforcement and
evasion for the border region, Sean Kelleher, said
the vehicles seized yesterday were unregistered for
at least a month and "a lot longer" in many cases.
Those who only received warnings had bought their
cars within the last number of days and were being
given a grace period to comply. |
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Mr Kelleher said a
number of the vehicles seized yesterday were
impounded while some were released on payment of a
fine of 10% of the estimated market value of the car
and a warning to register the vehicle in the State
within seven days.
Local Sinn Féin councillor Pádraig MacLochlainn
yesterday criticised the Revenue checkpoints saying
they caused serious disruption and delays of up to
30 minutes for people travelling to work and school.
Mr Kelleher acknowledged that many people were held
up in the tailbacks but said the timing of the
operation was important.
"Unfortunately, people are going to be discommoded
when we organise these checkpoints but the timing of
them is important in order to maximise the effect of
the operation. There is no point in us going out in
the middle of the night. The operation has to be
focused and targeted," said Mr Kelleher.
He said new regulations had recently come into force
obligating insurance companies to notify Revenue, on
a monthly basis, of all foreign-registered cars they
indemnify for more than 42 days. The three
checkpoints yesterday also included personnel from
the Department of Social and Family Affairs in a
clampdown on welfare fraud. |
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