On the 18th August 2020, the Joint Unit for Waste Crime (JUWC) carried out a raid on an allegedly illegal waste site in Great Harwood, Lancashire. The raid uncovered evidence of a large scale operation, providing a good example of how the JUWC continue to investigate serious waste crime across the UK.
It is understood the site was operated by two skip hire companies and it is alleged illegal waste activities such as the handling and storage of scrap metal, the landfilling of mixed waste, and illegal burning have taken place at the site.
Enforcement officers obtained evidence of a large-scale operation, identifying 50,000 tonnes of landfilled waste and several skips consisting of mixed household and business waste.
The JUWC was set up in January 2020 to tackle organised waste crime and this successful raid exemplifies the effectiveness of the Unit. The Unit consists of the 4 environmental regulators, the National Crime Agency, HMRC, and the police. To tackle waste crime the Unit carries out site inspections, make arrests, and where appropriate takes enforcement action.
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