They earn money by disposing of hazardous waste, but in reality they do not fulfill the agreement. First they store the waste, then they throw it somewhere else and get rid of the problem. The Central Bureau of Investigation of the Police has targeted criminal groups that deal with waste trade. 34 people have been detained, who have been charged with over 17 thousand.
Central Police Investigation Bureau is working on criminal groups that deal with the circulation of hazardous waste, acting to the detriment of the environment. Given the properties of these substances, they can be flammable, irritating, carcinogenic, toxic, corrosive, infectious.
How do such groups operate? Police officers from the Central Bureau of Investigation in Bydgoszcz have determined that criminals rent warehouses for people they identify. They then bring waste there, and when there is no more space for more, they simply abandon the waste in various places. They try not to leave any traces behind.
Barrels of dangerous substances foundCentral Bureau of Investigation
They presented over 17 thousand allegations
The investigation into this case is being conducted in several provinces, and the actions of the officers are supervised by the Regional Prosecutor's Office in Łódź. Evidence was sought, among others, at one of the waste dumps in the Kuyavian-Pomeranian province, where barrels of hazardous substances were discovered. Officers from the customs department in Elbląg and inspectors from the Provincial Inspectorate for Environmental Protection (WIOŚ) in Bydgoszcz and the Chief Inspectorate for Environmental Protection (GIOŚ) in Warsaw also participated in the activities.
Employees of WIOŚ and GIOŚ also took part in the actions.Central Bureau of Investigation
“A total of 13 operations were carried out, during which 34 people were detained, and prosecutors from the Regional Prosecutor's Office in Łódź presented them with over 17,000 charges. The charges presented included, among others, leading and participating in an organized criminal group, laundering money from crime, violating regulations on waste management and certifying false information in documents,” the Central Bureau of Investigation reported.
34 people were detained, 14 were temporarily arrestedCentral Bureau of Investigation
The 14 detained persons were placed under temporary arrest, and property worth over PLN 3.5 million was secured against future penalties and penal measures.
He faces five years in prison
According to the provisions of the Penal Code, criminal liability applies to “… a person who, contrary to the regulations, stores, disposes of, processes, recovers, neutralizes or transports waste or substances in such conditions or in such a way that it may endanger the life or health of many people or cause destruction in the plant or animal world on a significant scale.”
Violation of this provision is punishable by five years' imprisonment.
The activities were carried out, among others, at one of the waste disposal sites.Central Bureau of Investigation
Main image source: Central Bureau of Investigation