Modus Operandi in Waste Crime and Violations
Based on three recent reports from the Interpol and the Waste Force project funded by the EU presenting recent cases of various waste crimes, a modus operandi list has been created. However, as highlighted in the WasteForce Crime Alert#2 report, in most cases only the type of crime was reported without specifying the modus operandi.
Unauthorized waste activities
- Storage of waste without authorisation. In some instances, offenders stockpile the waste in drums and declare bankruptcy before disposal.
- Dumping and disposal of waste without authorisation. Usually, illegal dumping is conducted by small number of persons who are knowledgeable in disposal and who ‘satisfy’ licensing standards. The offences are committed by systematically defrauding the waste generators by guaranteeing a service never actually provided. Indicative examples: dumping in isolated areas, storage in drums that dissolve over time, filling of unfilled landfills, and burning. In some instances, offenders also report that they made use of boreholes leading to abandoned mines, whereas others dumped the waste into convenient sewers or nearby bodies of water and took advantage of the technological inadequacies and carelessness of inspectors.
- Burial of waste without authorisation
- Waste management without authorisation
- Mismanagement of waste
- Commercial activity with waste without authorisation
Unauthorized waste sites
- Unauthorized waste treatment facility
- Unauthorized landfill
- Abandoned site or opened area
- Road side
- Agricultural land
- Private property
- Company or commercial site
- Discharge in water