£100,000 cash seized in warrants linked to ongoing waste crime investigation
Almost £100,000 in cash was seized during warrants executed on Thursday morning, 8 January, as part of an ongoing investigation into suspected money laundering linked to illegal waste activity.
Two men were arrested in the warrants that took place at locations across Shropshire, Herefordshire and Worcestershire, led by specialist economic crime officers with support from neighbourhood policing teams.
Specialist resources, including Task Force rapid entry officers and specially trained digital detection dogs, were deployed to support the operation.
Around £97,000 in cash was seized, an estimated £200,000 to £300,000 found in bank accounts, and dozens of bags of potential counterfeit goods (electrical items) across the addresses. Officers also seized business material and digital devices that will now be examined.
The locations included a farm in Peopleton in Pershore where electrical goods suspected to be linked to money laundering were found, along with around £60,000 cash. A suspected stolen car was also recovered.
Two men were arrested at an address in Drakes Broughton, near Pershore on suspicion of firearms offences. Six firearms were seized at that location, along with around £18,000 in cash.
Searches were made at further addresses as part of the operation conducted by West Mercia Police in partnership with the Environment Agency, DVSA, Wychavon District Council and the National Vehicle Crime Intelligence Service (NaVCIS).
All arrests and seizures form part of an ongoing investigation and enquiries remain ongoing.
Safer Neighbourhood Inspector for Wychavon, Dave Wise, said: “This operation is a significant development in an ongoing investigation into suspected money laundering linked to illegal waste activity.
“Work of this nature requires detailed planning and coordination and is often not visible until enforcement action takes place.
“Illegal waste activity is a blight on our environment and cannot be tackled by any single agency acting alone.
“Communities affected by this expect lasting solutions rather than short-term fixes, which requires coordinated and patient work.
“I want to recognise the commitment and persistence of colleagues in our Economic Crime Unit who have planned this operation, the neighbourhood policing teams who manage community impact and expectations day in, day out, and the continued work of our partner agencies.
“We will continue to support affected communities, support our partners in addressing misuse of land, and will pursue appropriate outcomes through the justice system.”
Marc Lidderth, West Midlands Area Director at the Environment Agency, said: “The results of this day of action are a great example of utilising different agencies’ enforcement powers to reach a successful outcome and disrupt criminal activity. Working in partnership enhances our ability to protect communities and the environment.
“These results will aid our joint investigations into illegal waste crime activity at sites in Worcestershire, and any future enforcement action we may take.
“In 2024/5, the Environment Agency successfully stopped activity at 743 illegal waste sites. 84 of these were in the West Midlands region.
“If you have any information regarding illegal waste dumping incidents, we encourage you to report it to the Environment Agency incident hotline to help in our fight against waste criminals.”
