A new 33-strong drone unit is being deployed to investigate the scourge of illegal waste dumping across England, the government has announced.
The ring leader of a major waste crime gang has been ordered to pay £1.4m after being found guilty at Birmingham Crown Court – improvements to investigation into illegal waste dumping – costing the UK economy £1bn a year.
Varun Dutta, 36, from London, was responsible for illegally dumping mostly municipal waste at a network of 16 sites across the country, including a historic manor house and nature reserve in Lancashire.
Dutta – described as a “prolific waste criminal” – was jailed for four months, suspended for 18 months, and ordered to pay £100,000 in compensation, £100,000 in compensation and £200,000 in prosecution costs, reflecting the financial gain from his crimes.
The government on Friday announced tough new measures to tackle illegal waste dumping.
It will accelerate the use of drones with the introduction of a new 33-strong drone team. Some drones are equipped with light detection and ranging (lidar) technology that can produce highly detailed maps of illegal waste sites.
The Environment Agency, which is tasked with investigating waste crime, has increased the size of its Joint Investigation Unit to 20 specialists.
Phil Davies, Head of the Joint Waste Crime Unit, said: “As organized criminals become more sophisticated, we are adopting new technologies to find them and, crucially, stop them. Through greater use of drones, stronger partnerships and more officers on the ground, we will build on our action so far and send a clear message to those who commit crime.
The EA scored a major victory for Dutta when he was convicted last week after pleading guilty to willfully causing the deposit of regulated waste at 16 sites. The total weight of the waste was 4,275 tonnes, and the illegal dumps were spread across Lincolnshire, Cambridgeshire, Lancashire, Kent, Surrey, Rutland and Middlesbrough.
Along with Dutta, two other persons were convicted. Two more accused are wanted.
Judge Paul Farrar KC said during sentencing that the offenses were reckless. “Odor and flies are a feature of some illegal sites and have caused a localized negative impact on air quality,” he said. Landowners had to bear substantial costs to remove illegal waste, he added.
He sentenced Dutta to four months in prison, suspended for 18 months, as well as 30 days of rehabilitation and 200 hours of unpaid work.
The court heard that Dutta became a registered waste broker in 2015 through his company Atkins Recycling Limited. He was reckless, claiming the waste the company handled was being sent to a legal site in Kiveton Park, near Sheffield. However, the loads were actually diverted to unlicensed dumps across the country, the court heard.
Midleton Nature Reserve in Lancashire is one of the sites where the waste was dumped. Part of the £100,000 compensation is intended to be used to restore the reserve.
Mohammed Saraji Bashir, 45, of Peterborough, who pleaded guilty to causing controlled waste to be stored at three sites, was also given a four-month prison sentence, 30 days of rehabilitation activity and 200 hours of unpaid work.
Robert William McAllister, 55, of Northwood, London, pleaded guilty to failing to comply with a duty of care imposed on waste intermediaries in relation to regulated waste at two sites. He was fined £750.
