Officers recently joined forces with staff from Swale Borough Council’s Environmental Enforcement Team, the Environment Agency and the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency.
The operation was carried out on 25 November 2021 as part of ongoing efforts to tackle those carrying illegal waste around Swale.
During the initiative, numerous vehicles, including lorries, scrap metal and waste related vehicles were searched by officers.
As part of the checks the drivers of two vehicles were issued with a fine for failing to produce waste transfer notices.
One vehicle was also removed for having no insurance and officers also detained two men, both aged 27 and from Sheppey, in relation to a suspected drug offence. Following the stop one man was issued a penalty notice for disorder for possession of cannabis.
The second man was arrested on suspicion of driving while under the influence of drugs. He has been released under investigation pending forensic results.
Police Sergeant Darren Walshaw of Kent Police’s Rural Taskforce said: ‘This was a successful operation in which we stopped and searched any suspected contaminated or illegal waste carriers.
‘As well as the arrests we were also able to use the operation to gather important data which can be used by the other
organisations as part of ongoing work to help combat this type of criminality.’
