Three men were arrested today in a joint operation involving the Environment Agency, Devon & Cornwall Police and Avon & Somerset Police.
The arrests were made by the police as part of Operation Hemlock – an Environment Agency investigation into the illegal handling and disposal of tyres across the country. Environmental Crime officers are targeting sites where large volumes of poor quality tyre bales are being illegally handled.
The arrests were made at various addresses in the Exeter and Taunton areas. The three men have been questioned and released on police bail to reappear on June 22.
“The Environment Agency is committed to making sure that people who deal in waste tyres do so properly to protect the en and the interest of legitimate businesses,’ said Malcolm Newton for the Environment Agency.
“We are very grateful to Devon & Cornwall and Avon & Somerset Police for their assistance in this operation and their recognition that illegal waste crime is a serious problem.”
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Well, it’s about time. These illegal activities have been going on for years and have caused huge damage to the legitimate tyre recycling industry.