Residents using an unregistered “man with a van” to help clear rubbish or unwanted items could be unwittingly supporting drugs gangs.
Many of the individuals or groups carrying out waste disposal are unlicensed and part of organised crime gangs involved in large scale fraud, money laundering and drug supply.
A number of organised crime gangs are currently operating across England, including within Lincolnshire, according to the head of the Joint Unit for Waste Crime (JUWC) Phil Davies.
The reality behind fly-tipping was revealed at the Greater Lincolnshire Environmental Crime Summit held at the Epic Centre last week – organised by Lincolnshire’s Police and Crime Commissioner Marc Jones in partnership with the county’s Environmental Crime Partnership.
The Summit aimed to strengthen existing collaboration, share best practice to drive ongoing improvement, and highlight the progress and positive impact of the partnership so far.
More than 80 delegates from local authorities, law enforcement and agencies heard from a range of speakers about the devastating effects of illegal rubbish dumping and how to tackle the problem.
Mr Davies told delegates that waste crime costs the economy in England £1 billion every year, as much as 18% of all waste is estimated to be illegally handled at some point and only 25% of waste crime incidents are reported.
PCC Marc Jones said the conference was a crucial way for partners to come together and share ideas and best practice on how to tackle the problem of illegal waste dumping.
“It’s misleading to categorise this issue as fly-tipping because that doesn’t reveal the true insidious nature of this problem. In many cases this is crime carried out by organised gangs and the proceeds used to fund other criminal activity,” he said.
“It is a blight on our countryside and a crime that has significant consequences for residents and farmers – who have to pay for the clean-up afterwards.
“There is fantastic work being done by partners to eradicate the problem but we need to ensure we are at the cutting edge of fighting this crime and the summit was an excellent way to seek new and innovative ways to do just that.
“The work will continue and I will ensure this issue is given the priority it rightly deserves.”
The Lincolnshire Environmental Crime Partnership was formed in 2020 and brings together partners from across the county to strengthen the response to environmental crime. The partnership aims to protect Lincolnshire’s environment by working together to effectively tackle waste related crimes.
Ayeisha Kirkham, Chair of the Lincolnshire Environmental Crime Partnership, said: “Events like this are vital in highlighting the work of the Lincolnshire Environmental Crime Partnership in tackling waste offences, which have a detrimental impact on our communities.
“Thank you to the Police and Crime Commissioner Marc Jones for supporting the event. It gives partners a valuable opportunity to showcase our work, learn from others and renew our county-wide commitment to tackling waste crime and protecting our beautiful county.”
