UK authorities arrest three over alleged illegal export of waste tyres

ERJ staff report (LMH)

London - Three men suspected of exporting waste tyres illegally from the UK into Vietnam and Hong Kong, have been arrested..

The three were arrested on suspicion of a number of fraud offences. Export of waste tyres into these countries is banned.

The Environment Agency's eight month investigation gathered intelligence from a range of sources, culminating in today's 35 person-strong joint operation with City of London Police who made the arrests. Officers raided five sites across England in January to tackle the dumping of tyres in the United Kingdom and abroad.

Environment Agency National Crime Team Manager Andy Higham said: “The UK produces almost 50 million used tyres every year and it is now illegal to send them to landfill - they should be recycled here in the UK.

“But our intelligence suggests that illegal operators are charging tyre fitters to recycle old tyres here in the UK and then illegally exporting them overseas to avoid the recycling costs. As well as forcing other countries to deal with our waste, this practice also undermines legitimate tyre recycling businesses here in the UK.

He added: “To export tyres that are not UK road legal and are therefore waste, exporters must check that the country of destination will accept waste tyres for recovery and recycling.”

Environment Agency intelligence suggests containers of baled waste tyres have been illegally exported into Vietnam and Hong Kong in breach of the Transfrontier Shipment of Waste Regulations 2007 and the European Waste Shipment Regulations 2006.

Environment Agency and police officers seized evidence from the business premises of all three men that were arrested. Two residential premises were also searched.

Tyre fitters were warned to check waste collection companies carefully, and to be suspicious of contractors who offer to take them away for less than 50p a tyre.

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Press release from UK Environment Agency