LONDON, March 13 -- The government of the United Kingdom issued the following news:

A 45-year-old man was arrested on Wednesday 11 March on suspicion of operating an illegal waste site in the south of the city.

It follows a joint operation involving the Environment Agency, Joint Unit for Waste Crime (JUWC) and Merseyside Police that took place on Monday 2 February at the suspected illegal site, where another 45-year-old man was arrested and an HGV seized.

An excavator has also recently been seized as part of the investigation.

Jennifer Brittlebank, Area Environment Manager for the Environment Agency, said:

We've made significant progress as our investigation into illegal waste activity in Liverpool continues.

We have immense sympathy with local communities affected by waste crime and the impact this has on them.

Where we find evidence of illegal activity, we will do everything within our powers to ensure the people responsible are held accountable and face legal consequences.

The public plays a vital role in helping us tackle waste crime and we'd encourage anyone who has information to contact us.

The arrest comes after the Environment Agency announced a new package of surveillance and investigative measures to tackle waste crime.

It includes an enhanced 33-strong drone squad totrackdown illegal dumps fromtheair and a reinforced JUWC - 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, JUWC manager, added:

The investigation is a great example of partners working together to share information and resources in the ongoing fight against waste crime.

Through the greater use of specialist capabilities,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.

The investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information should report it to the Environment Agency on 0800 807060, or anonymously via Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Background

The JUWC, hosted by the Environment Agency, was formed in 2020 to tackle serious and organised crime in the waste sector.

Since then, it has grown to include 12 partners:

* Environment Agency * Natural Resources Wales * Scottish Environmental Protection Agency * Northern Ireland Environment Agency * His Majesty's Revenue & Customs * Police * National Fire Chiefs Council * British Transport Police * National Crime Agency * Revenue Scotland * Welsh Revenue Authority * Environmental Services Association * Chartered Institute for Waste Management

Disclaimer: Curated by HT Syndication.