Published on 13 March 2026, the Environment Agency confirmed a second arrest in its Liverpool waste investigation. A 45-year-old man was detained on Wednesday 11 March 2026 on suspicion of operating an illegal waste site in the south of the city, and an excavator has also been seized as part of the inquiry. (gov.uk)
This latest action follows a multi-agency operation on Monday 2 February involving the Environment Agency, the Joint Unit for Waste Crime (JUWC) and Merseyside Police at a suspected illegal site, during which another 45-year-old man was arrested and a heavy goods vehicle was seized. (gov.uk)
Area Environment Manager Jennifer Brittlebank said the investigation had made significant progress, emphasising that communities affected by waste crime would see offenders held to account and urging the public to share information that can support enforcement. (gov.uk)
The arrests come shortly after the Environment Agency announced a strengthened enforcement package. This includes a 33-strong drone squad, upgrades to LIDAR mapping, a screening tool that cross-checks HGV operator licence applications with waste permit records, and an expanded JUWC of 20 specialists-building on a year in which 751 illegal waste sites were shut down. (gov.uk)
For operators and landowners this means earlier detection and quicker interventions where activity appears unlawful. The agency says the combination of aerial surveillance and data-led checks is being used to identify suspect operations pre-emptively and to support prosecutions. (gov.uk)
In the North West, the JUWC reports 361 multi-agency days of action by September 2025 with 186 associated arrests by partner agencies, underlining the scale of joint enforcement already in train alongside equipment seizures such as the HGV and excavator in Liverpool. (gov.uk)
Hosted by the Environment Agency since 2020, the JUWC brings together policing, HMRC, the National Crime Agency, the National Fire Chiefs Council and the environment regulators of the devolved administrations to disrupt serious and organised waste crime through shared intelligence and joint tasking. (gov.uk)
The investigation remains live. Information can be reported to the Environment Agency incident hotline on 0800 80 70 60, or anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. (gov.uk)
Recent activity elsewhere illustrates the wider crackdown: on 6 December 2025 a JUWC day of action with Lancashire Police and the National Crime Agency resulted in a 56-year-old man’s arrest and a vehicle seizure, with linked enquiries across Lancashire, Cheshire and Merseyside. (gov.uk)
The agency is also reiterating public guidance: use official disposal routes and, before paying a private collector, check they are registered on the Environment Agency’s public register of waste carriers. (gov.uk)