HMRC has signed up to a new government taskforce dedicated to tackling serious and organised waste crime, such as dumping hazardous materials on private land and falsely labelling waste so it can be exported abroad to unsuspecting countries
Serious and organised waste crime is estimated to cost the UK economy at least £600m a year and a 2018 Home Office review found that perpetrators are often involved in other serious criminal activity, including large scale fraud and in some cases modern slavery.
The Joint Unit for Waste Crime (JUWC) brings together law enforcement agencies, environmental regulators, HMRC and the National Crime Agency for the first time in a bid to develop a co-ordinated approach.
To tackle the growing trend in criminal waste networks, the new unit will conduct site inspections, make arrests and prosecutions and, upon conviction, push for heavy fines and custodial sentences.
Toby Willison, chair of the JUWC board, said: ‘The launch of this new unit means we now have a full complement of partners across law enforcement as well as our counterparts in Scotland and Wales to bring down waste criminals for good.’
Simon Walker, from HMRC’s fraud investigation service, said: ‘We are proud to be part of the JUWC. Waste crime is a blight on our society, with those responsible often involved in a raft of other crimes including large scale fraud that rob our vital public services of much-needed funds.
‘This new unit will allow us to share resources, expertise and intelligence and take the fight to these criminals, protecting our communities and creating a level playing field for honest businesses.’
