Tag: criminal gangs

Tell our charity who is illegally dumping waste in your area

During Scotland’s Recycling Week, charity Crimestoppers and Network Rail Scotland uncover the hidden crimes and harms underneath waste dumping

The charity Crimestoppers Scotland has today launched a new campaign in partnership with Network Rail Scotland to highlight the impact criminal gangs are causing by dumping large-scale waste in communities.

According to figures published by Zero Waste Scotland, there are over 60,000 incidents of fly tipping reported each year in Scotland, costing over £8.9 million of public money to clear up. 

Waste crime takes many different forms, including large-scale dumping, illegal waste sites, illegal burning of waste, mis-description of waste to avoid fees and landfill taxes, and illegal export of waste. It’s usually carried out by gangs and individuals who operate bogus waste services, accepting payment for disposal without having the necessary permits for transportation or storage.

Their ’waste disposal business’ can be used as a cover for other serious illegal activities, such as money laundering and modern-day slavery.

Criminals attack rural environments in a variety of ways, from significant scale illegal dumping to heritage crime. It has a detrimental impact on surrounding wildlife, livestock and communities.

Some examples of waste dumping in Scotland include:

  • Large scale hazardous waste posing risks to staff and the public was dumped adjacent to Glasgow’s Queen Street Railway line, causing disruption and costing thousands to clear up.
  • Household items such as fridges, washing machines, baths and toilets, as well as doors, windows, furniture, building rubble and bin bags, were strewn across ground beneath the M8 in the Blochairn area of Glasgow
  • In Port Glasgow, Renfrewshire, a derelict farm was filled with an estimated 10,000 tyres. One barn at the site in Devol that is overflowing with tyres lies within a few metres of a housing estate. Tyres are classified as hazardous waste because of the polluting emissions they give off and their potential to catch fire.

Angela Parker, National Manager for charity Crimestoppers, said: “For this campaign with Network Rail Scotland, we spoke to communities affected by large scale waste dumping.

“Many people said looking at waste piles of rubbish made them feel unsafe and impacted their mental health. They were also unaware of the serious crimes waste crime dumping covers up.

“Scotland is classed as 97% rural, with rural communities in particular relying on it for business, farming and tourism.

“Waste dumping covers hidden crimes and has hidden consequences for communities, including negative effects on property values, increased crime rates and mental health issues in areas where waste dumping is prevalent.

“Often the criminals behind it are hard to identify as they typically pose as legitimate businesses. Illegally dumping waste is a lucrative business for criminal organisations, and warehouses or derelict sites are a prime target to mask this activity.

“Serious and organised waste crime is on the rise, and often on an industrial scale. We want communities and the waste industry to speak up 100% anonymously to our charity if they know or suspect who is dumping large scale waste in Scotland.”

Our web page at Environmental crime | Crimestoppers shares everything you need to know about how to report waste crime

Tell us what you know,  by calling 0800 555 111 or using our online form. You’ll stay 100% anonymous. Always.

Neil Cook, Route Crime Manager for Network Rail Scotland, said: “Fly-tipping is always an eyesore and a hazard, but it’s especially concerning when it happens near a railway.

“Dumped rubbish can fuel lineside fires, act as climbing aids for those trying to breach secure boundaries and often attract children and youths to play in dangerous areas – putting themselves, passengers, and rail staff at serious risk.

“That’s why we’re working closely with partners to prevent fly-tipping and catch those responsible. By tackling this issue together, we’re helping to protect our communities and ensure the railway remains safe and reliable for everyone.”

Some of the signs to look out for:

  • Large scale dumping of waste (such as a tipper truck dumping over 20 tonnes of waste).
  • Illegal waste sites.
  • Misdescription of waste, to avoid fees and landfill taxes.
  • Illegal export of waste.
  • Serious and intentional waste permit breaches.
  • Illegal burning of waste.

To pass on information about Illegal large scale waste dumping completely anonymously, visit the Crimestoppers website (Crimestoppers-uk.org).

You can fill in a safe and secure form or you can call the 24/7 UK-based Contact Centre on 0800 555 111. Young people can also report crime via the charity’s youth service website Fearless.org.

Please note: With Crimestoppers-uk.org and Fearless.org, computer IP addresses are never traced and no-one will ever know you contacted them.

For telephone calls to Crimestoppers via 0800 555 111, there is no caller line display, no 1471 facility and calls have never been traced.

Suspected people smuggling gang taken down in nationwide strikes

A suspected people-smuggling gang has been arrested for allegedly using false identity documents to smuggle hundreds of people into the UK illegally, luring them into a life of exploitation and misery.  

On Tuesday 1 July, Immigration Enforcement officers executed warrants in Greater London, and Batley, West Yorkshire and arrested 7 suspects. The targets are believed to have used forged passports and visas of people with legitimate status in the UK to facilitate their illegal arrival, and subsequent employment in black market businesses.   

The gang is believed to have facilitated the illegal entry of over 500 people with no right to be in the UK.

Their alleged money-grabbing scheme is believed to have developed into a wide-scale, dangerous criminal network operating across the country, with the 5 men and 3 women believed to have sent fake documents to beneficiaries to evade detection from law enforcement.

The gang, who largely targeted Gambian nationals, are also suspected of re-using the fraudulent documents for different imposters hoping to make it to the UK illegally, with an ongoing investigation revealing a substantial quantity of images of passports found on the main suspect’s mobile phone.  

From booking flights to housing the migrants on arrival and providing them with illegal work, the gang provided a full service and charged around £5,000 per person. 

This particular gang, like many others, is believed to be charging substantial fees for arranging illegal entry to the UK, with the main suspect believed to have a turnover of over £1.3m in his bank account despite claiming to only earn £35,000 a year working for a furniture manufacturing company.

Another suspect is believed to have a turnover of over £1m across two bank accounts whilst simultaneously receiving Universal Credit. A further investigation will be launched in order to recover the profits made by this suspected organised criminal gang.

At the various addresses visited, officers seized several counterfeit identity documents which are believed to have been used in this criminal scheme.

These arrests form part of this government’s Plan for Change to strengthen the UK’s border security, which is already delivering results, with almost 30,000 people with no right to be here returned since the election and a turbocharge in immigration enforcement activity across the country which has led to a 51% increase in the number of illegal working arrests. 

Organised criminal gangs who are driven by profit often go to extreme lengths to make their cash, disregarding the safety of humans. The suspects in this case are believed to have been exploiting those they promised to help by forcing them to work in private homes under their control, leaving the survivors trapped in unsafe situations and exhausted for little or no pay.  

Minister for Border Security and Asylum, Dame Angela Eagle said: “This operation is a clear display that we will not stand by and let evil criminal gangs abuse our immigration system. 

“This suspected gang promised their beneficiaries a better life here in the UK. Instead, they face heinous levels of exploitation which is exactly why we are working with law enforcement to ensure survivors of modern slavery are supported and the criminal gangs face justice. 

“Our Border Security Command has £280m of additional funding over the next 4 years to deliver the step-change required to break their business models and deliver our Plan for Change to restore order to the immigration system.

Ben Ryan, Chief Operating Officer at Medaille Trust, said: “Medaille Trust is delighted to have collaborated on this operation and to have played a part in ensuring that victims were identified and supported to begin their recovery as survivors.

“We believe that collaborative efforts like this between the Home Office and civil society provide a model for confronting the evils of modern slavery; with a focus on both pursuing abusers and recognising and supporting survivors.”

The Home Office’s Criminal Financial Investigations team works closely with charities like Medaille Trust to support the victims of organised crime by keeping them at the heart of any investigation, providing invaluable expertise and support to the most vulnerable.

Through closer collaboration we are able to identify victims and offer them a safe haven to come forward about the abuse they have faced. Medaille Trust provide refuge and freedom from modern slavery and are one of the largest providers of supported safe house beds for victims of modern slavery in the UK.   

Cracking down on abuse of the immigration system is central to securing the UK’s borders. As set out in the Immigration White Paper in May, the UK government will introduce tighter controls, restrictions, and scrutiny of those who attempt to abuse and misuse the immigration system.

This includes strengthening border security by rolling out digital identity for all overseas citizens through the implementation of eVisas and new systems for checking visa compliance.

G7 nations agree new plan to dismantle migrant smuggling gangs

The Home Secretary has agreed a major international plan to smash criminal gangs responsible for smuggling illegal migrants into G7 nations

The G7 Anti-Smuggling Action Plan will deliver a boost to UK law enforcement by fostering closer cooperation with G7 partners to bolster border security, combat transnational organised crime, and protect vulnerable individuals from exploitation by migrant smugglers.

New joint investigative actions will be carried out by law enforcement teams to target criminal smuggling routes, while intelligence sharing between G7 nations will ensure faster identification and disruption of these dangerous networks.

This approach will enhance the capabilities of the Border Security Command and its new Commander Martin Hewitt CBE QPM in coordinating investigations with international partners to reduce illegal migration to the UK.

Other measures announced in the plan include: 

  • sharing best practice, including disrupting supply chains that facilitate people-smuggling, such as small boat parts, seizing the illegal financial assets of criminals, and improving cooperation across global transport routes
  • working with social media platforms and internet providers to remove harmful content that promotes illegal migration services or advertises fake job opportunities
  • strengthening capabilities to monitor and anticipate irregular migration flows at both global and regional levels

The agreement comes after discussions by the Home Secretary at the G7 Interior and Security Ministers’ meeting in Avellino, Italy, this week. It marks another step in the UK’s reset of relations with key allies and affirms a shared commitment to working together to tackle complex cross-border issues. 

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said: “Criminal smuggling gangs who organise small boat crossings undermine our border security and put lives at risk. Our new government is rapidly accelerating cooperation with other countries to crack down on these dangerous gangs.

“Today’s newly agreed G7 action plan provides an important focus on international law enforcement and reflects our determination to work with global partners on these shared challenges. New international joint investigative teams will help coordinate cross-border action and supplement the measures we have already taken to set up the UK Border Security Command and back it with new funding.

“The plan will help to increase both voluntary and enforced returns of migrants to countries of origin. It aims to offer migrants more choices and improve the overall management of migration flows.”

Instrumental to delivery of this plan in the UK is the new Border Security Command, under the leadership of Martin Hewitt CBE QPM, which will be armed with enhanced powers and coordinate the work of law enforcement and intelligence agencies.

It will coordinate investigations with European counterparts and will benefit from a £75 million investment in cutting-edge technology, additional officers, and new covert capabilities.

In July, the government committed a further £84 million to addressing the root causes of irregular migration. This funding will go towards programmes aimed at tackling the drivers of migration at their source, reducing the need for dangerous and irregular journeys.

Since taking office, the Home Secretary has increased efforts to work with international partners to tackle the challenges posed by irregular migration.

This has included engagement with the United States Attorney General, Merrick Garland, European Commissioner for Home Affairs, Ylva Johansson, and Executive Director of Europol, Catherine De Bolle.

The UK will continue to drive focus on tackling migrant smuggling with the G7 under Canada’s presidency next year, and at next month’s INTERPOL General Assembly in Glasgow.

Home Secretary launches new Border Security Command

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper has set out the first steps to establishing a new UK Border Security Command (BSC).

This BSC will strengthen Britain’s border security and smash the criminal smuggling gangs making millions out of small boat crossings.

Rapid recruitment for an exceptional leader used to working in complex and challenging environments, for example, at senior levels of policing, intelligence or the military, will kick off today (Monday 8 July), with the new recruit expected to take up their post in the coming weeks.

Reporting directly to the Home Secretary, the Border Security Commander will provide strategic direction to work across agencies, drawing together the work of the National Crime Agency (NCA), intelligence agencies, police, Immigration Enforcement and Border Force, to better protect our borders and go after the smuggling gangs facilitating small boat crossings.

Following the Home Secretary’s instruction, a core team in the Home Office is establishing the remit, governance and strategic direction of the new command. Early legislation is being prepared to introduce new counter terror style powers and stronger measures to tackle organised immigration crime.

She has also commissioned a bespoke investigation from the department and the NCA into the latest routes, methods and tactics used by people smuggling gangs across Europe to inform a major law enforcement drive over the coming months.

The BSC will draw on substantial additional resources, with work to bring in more investigators, experts and analysts to tackle organised immigration crime starting on Monday. A significant number of these will be based across Europe, working with Europol and European police forces to disrupt the activity of the criminal smuggling gangs and ensure those profiting from people smuggling are brought to justice.

In a call to the Director General of the NCA, Graeme Biggar, the Home Secretary stressed the need to break the business model of the criminal smuggling gangs, going after their ability to communicate, move people across Europe and their profit.

The Home Secretary will have further calls this week with European interior ministers and with the Director General of Europol to discuss strengthening security cooperation.

Home Secretary, Yvette Cooper, said: “Criminal smuggling gangs are making millions out of small boat crossings, undermining our border security and putting lives at risk. We can’t carry on like this. We need to tackle the root of the problem, going after these dangerous criminals and bringing them to justice.

“The Border Security Command will be a major step change in UK enforcement efforts to tackle organised immigration crime, drawing on substantial resource to work across Europe and beyond to disrupt trafficking networks and to coordinate with prosecutors in Europe to deliver justice.

“Work is underway to bring in a Border Security Commander to lead this work – and we will begin recruitment on additional capacity in the National Crime Agency immediately.”