A new package of high-tech surveillance measures, including an expanded drone squad and an automated licence-screening tool, has been rolled out by the Environment Agency in a major crackdown on waste crime.
The agency will now deploy 33 trained drone pilots to track illegal dumping from the air, with some aircraft being upgraded to carry laser mapping technology. Light Detection and Ranging (Lidar) systems fire millions of laser points per second at the ground, creating highly detailed, three-dimensional maps that can pinpoint exactly where waste has been dumped and serve as evidence in court.
Since July last year, Environment Agency drones have already logged 272 hours of flight time targeting waste crime.
A new digital screening tool has also been developed to intercept offenders before they begin operating. The software automatically scans weekly applications for Heavy Goods Vehicle licences published by the Office of the Traffic Commissioner, cross-referencing them against the Environment Agency’s public register of waste permits and carrier licences.
Suspect operators are flagged immediately, allowing officers to intervene before a licence is approved. The system has already proved its worth in East Anglia, where it identified a waste company that had secretly relocated its HGV operation to evade enforcement.
The new capabilities are backed by a reinforced Joint Unit for Waste Crime, now expanded from 13 to 20 specialists including former police officers. The unit works alongside police forces and the National Crime Agency to dismantle organised criminal networks involved in waste offending.
The measures build on a record year for enforcement, with 751 illegal waste sites shut down and 221 prosecutions brought against waste criminals in the year to March 2025.
Agency officials said the enhanced package would ensure waste criminals are detected and stopped before they can cause environmental harm, protecting communities and legitimate businesses from the estimated £1 billion annual cost of waste crime.
Phil Davies, Head of the Joint Unit for Waste Crime Unit said: ‘Illegal waste dumping is appalling, and we are determined to turn the tide on this heinous crime.
‘With organised criminals becoming ever more sophisticated, we are adopting new technologies to find and, importantly, stop them.
‘Through the greater use of drones, stronger partnerships and more officers on the ground, we will build on our action so far and send a clear message to those committing waste crimes – we will stop you.’
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