A Leeds local has been arrested for conspiracy to commit money laundering, as part of an active Environment Agency investigation into illegal recycling export paperwork.

In a joint raid earlier this week (Wednesday 21 May), Environment Agency officers worked with the Yorkshire and Humberside Regional Organised Crime Unit to apprehend a 34-year-old man at a property in Leeds.

After being interviewed, the suspect has been released pending ongoing investigations and evidence gathered during the arrest will support action going forward.

The arrest forms a crucial part of an ongoing investigation by the Environment Agency and Joint Unit for Waste Crime into fraud, money laundering and offences under the producer responsibility regulations. This now brings the total number of arrests to seven, after four individuals across Leeds, Doncaster and Calderdale were arrested in April last year, and two others being arrested in 2023.

Emma Viner, Enforcement and Investigations Manager at the Environment Agency, said:

We are calling time on fraud in the recycling sector, which undermines hard-working businesses and trashes our natural environment.

Our teams are thoroughly examining all the evidence gathered in the raid to further progress the investigation and help put an end to this unacceptable, organised criminal activity.

The Packaging Producer Responsibility Regulations were introduced to oblige the producers of waste packaging made from materials such as plastic, glass and cardboard to contribute towards the financial cost of recycling and disposing the waste.

Businesses that meet the criteria are required to prove they have made a financial contribution by purchasing credits, known as Packaging Export Recovery Notes, from waste reprocessors or exporters. However, the credits have a monetary value which means organised criminal gangs can look to infiltrate the sector and engage in high value fraud and money laundering.

In 2024, the Environment Agency launched a new Economic Crime Unit to boost its efforts to tackle money laundering and carry out financial investigations in the waste sector. This arrest marks another vital step in the unit’s work to ensure those working in waste management do the right thing and waste criminals are rooted out of the sector.

If a member of the public has any information that may assist with this investigation, they should call the Environment Agency’s 24-hour hotline on 0800 807060. They can also report it anonymously via Crimestoppers on 0800 555111 or the Crimestoppers website.