Owner of items seized on outskirts of Londonderry has until next week to contact customs

The seizure and detainment of the property was made on the Mullenan Road between Londonderry and Carrigans.

According to a notice, which has been newly published in the Belfast Gazette the goods were confiscated by officials of Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC on March 11.

“One Ford Transit van registration number NA55 XJW” and “3000 litres heavy oil, (kerosene)” were lifted under Section 139(6) of the Customs and Excise Management Act 1979, and paragraph 1 of Schedule 3, the notice reveals.

Under the act the owner of the van and oil has until the end of April to contact HMRC in order to claim the seized goods and prevent their condemnation.

M. Toal a HMRC officer warned the owner in the notice: “If you claim that all or any of the aforesaid goods are not liable to forfeiture you must, within one month from the date of this notice of seizure, give notice of your claim in writing, to the Commissioners at an office of Revenue and Customs in accordance with paragraphs three and four of Schedule 3 to the Customs and Excise Management Act 1979.

“Your notice must also specify your name and address and the goods claimed as not liable to forfeiture. If you live outside the United Kingdom you must also give the name and address of a solicitor within the United Kingdom who is authorised to accept service of the process and to act on your behalf.

“In default of such notice within the said period of one month, or if any requirement of the above mentioned paragraph 4 is not complied with, all the aforesaid goods will be deemed to have been duly condemned as forfeit.

“If you do give notice of claim in the proper form, the Commissioners will take legal proceedings for the condemnation of all goods claimed as not liable to forfeiture.”

Meanwhile, in a separate seizure on the same day on the far side of County Londonderry two lorries with containers holding oil and red diesel were seized from a property on Bellshill Road in Castledawson.

The owner has similarly been given notice to contact HMRC regarding the seized goods.

Amongst the goods seized at the property in Castledawson were a NKZ5780 registered Mercedes Atego white box lorry with a steel container, in which there were 100 litres of hydrocarbon oil.

A Y277XAS registered Scania 94D curtainside lorry with a steel container and three intermediate bulk containers was also discovered and seized by customs officers.

Officials discovered 12,400 litres of red MGO (red diesel) in the latter vehicle.

These were seized as liable to forfeiture and the owner has until the end of the month to claim them.

Under the law property owners have 45 days to collect anything seized by revenue officials.