Mr Patsy McGlone (Mid Ulster): To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs to detail any steps he is taking to ensure effective action is taken against organised criminal networks operating in the waste sector.
Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs: The NIEA’s Environmental Crime Unit (ECU) investigates and prosecutes serious waste crimes in Northern Ireland, using its enforcement powers under the Waste and Contaminated Land (Northern Ireland) Order 1997. Criminal prosecutions may include confiscation under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 to ensure offenders do not profit and to enforce the ‘Polluter Pays’ principle.
To strengthen its enforcement capability, the ECU is recruiting specialist staff and investing in accredited training to embed best practice.
A multi-agency approach remains central to tackling illegal waste activity. NIEA collaborates with partner organisations and stakeholders ensuring coordinated and proactive action across agencies.
The NIEA is a partner agency of the Organised Crime Task Force (OCTF) which provides a multi-agency partnership approach to tackling organised crime in Northern Ireland. OCTF brings together PSNI, HMRC and other law enforcement agencies, along with Government Departments, the Policing Board and the local business community to combat organised crime.
The NIEA is also a partner of the Joint Unit for Waste Crime (JUWC), which brings together law enforcement agencies, environmental regulators, HMRC and the National Crime Agency in the war against waste crime. By working together, Joint Unit partners can more easily share their intelligence and resources to take swifter action when investigating criminal waste operations and other connected illegal activities.
ENDS
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