LONDON, Feb. 20 -- The government of the United Kingdom issued the following news:
Waste criminalswill bedetectedandstoppedbeforethey evengetstarted, thanks toanewpackage ofsurveillance and investigativemeasuresannounced by the Environment Agency(EA)today (Friday 20 February 2026).
As part ofamajorcrackdown on waste crime,an enhanced 33-strong drone squad will nowtrackdown illegal dumps fromtheair.The drones,some ofwhich are being upgraded to carry laser mapping technology, willcaptureevidencetohelp securesuccessful prosecutions.
TheEnvironment Agency hasalsodevelopedanew screening toolthatenablesEA officerstoscan and cross-checklorry licenceapplicationsagainstwaste permitrecords-withsuspect operators flaggedbefore theyhave a chance tomove waste illegally.
The new capabilities are backed by a reinforced Joint Unit for WasteCrime- now a 20-stronggroupof specialistsworking closely with lawenforcement partners to dismantleorganised criminal networks. This builds on a record year for waste enforcement, with 751 illegal waste sites shut down.
Phil Davies, Head of the Joint Unit for Waste Crime Unit said:
Illegal waste dumping is appalling, and we are determined to turn the tideon this heinous crime.
With organised criminals becoming ever more sophisticated, we areadoptingnew technologiesto find and, importantly, stop them.
Through the greater use of drones,strongerpartnerships and more officerson the ground, we will build onour action so far and senda clear message to thosecommitting waste crimes-we will stop you.
Environment Secretary Emma Reynolds said:
This Government is aggressively pursuing waste criminals and bringing offenders to justice.
By increasing the Environment Agency's enforcement budget by over 50% to £15.6 million,we'reinvesting incutting-edgetechnology that allows us to shut down illegal operators faster and more effectively.
From advancedlaser-mappingto drone surveillance and newvehicle-scanningtools, this technology is helping us track,exposeand stop waste crime, ensuring those who blight our communities are held to account.
Greater drone surveillanceand Lidar mapping
The Environment Agency has stepped up its use of drone surveillance, with a total of33trained pilots putting a greater focus on waste crime.Since July last year, the EA's drones were in the air for 272 hours.
Drones willsoonbe equipped withLight Detection and Ranging (LIDAR)technology, whichfiresmillions of laser points per second towards the ground belowto create highly detailed maps of illegal waste sites.
Currentlyflownfroma dedicatedaircraftmainly tocapture flood information, moving Lidar onto drones will allow even more precise mapping, pinpointing exactly where waste has been dumped.These maps can be used as evidence in courttoandhelp bring waste criminals to justice.
New screeningscansOffice of the Traffic Commissionerdata
Each week, theOffice of the Traffic Commissioner publishes reports, listing all new applications for Heavy Goods Vehicle operator licences.
New software checks those applications against the EA's public register,identifyingwhich operators hold waste permits and waste carrier licences. This enablesEA officers toidentifyand targetpotentialoffendersbefore they beginoperating.
The new tool has already been trialled successfully in East Anglia, where it helped theagencyuncoverawaste companythat had secretlyrelocatedits HGV operationsto evade enforcement. The software flagged the new operating centre within a week, allowing EA officers to intervene before a licence wasapproved.
Recruiting more officers to the Joint Unit for Waste Crime
The Environment Agency has alsoincreasedthe size ofthe Joint Unit for Waste Crimefrom 13to20specialists,includingformerpolice officers.
Alongside EA enforcement officersacross the country, the Unit brings togethermultipleorganisations, including police forces and the National Crime Agency,todisrupt serious and organisedwastecrime.
This builds on enforcement action taken by the EAup to March 2025, which included221 prosecutions against waste criminals.
Disclaimer: Curated by HT Syndication.
