By Paddy Clancy

reporter

The number of people living in Co. Donegal illegally driving imported cars is rising to unprecedented levels, according to the latest figures.

It follows a major clampdown by Revenue authorities in one of the toughest crackdowns ever on cross border illegal importations. 

Up to the end of March, 73 vehicles were seized for Vehicle Registration Tax offences, almost a third of them in a special blitz during the final two weeks of March. The total seized in the county so far this year is more than 40 per cent of the total of 180 seized in the county for similar offences for all of 2008.

Dozens more vehicles are set to be seized in the county over the next few weeks as the special customs crackdown on VRT evasion continues.

The nationwide blitz began in mid-march with special emphasis on the border counties. Several hundred cars have already been seized across the North West in recent weeks at customs checkpoints and in random house calls.

The VRT-dodgers risk fines of up to €5,000 on conviction.

A Revenue Department spokesperson explained: “When a vehicle is imported into the State, the VRT must be paid within 24 hours after its arrival in the State or before the end of business on the next working day – i.e. if a vehicle is imported on Friday evening then it must be VRT-paid by end of business on the next Monday.

“What is happening is that persons resident in the Republic are acquiring cars which are registered abroad – N.I., U.K. and elsewhere.

“They fail to register them by the end of the following working day after they put them on the public road. VRT becomes payable at registration. People will continue to use the vehicles until challenged and in some cases will claim to be living outside the Republic.”

As the crackdown began to take effect there has been a surge of worried motorists getting their papers in order art the VRT office which recently moved to Government buildings at Drumlonagher in Donegal Town.

The public can log onto the Revenue website  www.revenue.i.e. to find out how much is payable on a vehicle.

Customs officers are also targeting the illegal sale of foreign-registered cars on the side of the road. These vehicles can be seized immediately.