Volunteers raise alarm after stunning crime is caught on camera: 'I honestly don't know if I have to cry or laugh'

Shocking footage has shown a man illegally dumping and burning construction waste in a protected nature area in Malta.

According to Lovin Malta, the man brazenly drove a truck into the site, which is sandwiched between a tree protected zone and a bird sanctuary. 

He is seen unloading the debris, setting it on fire, and then, as if nothing happened, driving off to get another load. Before authorities could extinguish the fire, it had already damaged a nearby carob tree. The MRU, a volunteer ranger group, spoke about its frustration.

"Seeing the arrogance of the accused, and the public resources wasted because of his actions, we urge the authorities to finally use the full scope of the law," the unit stated, per Lovin Malta.

However, while the MRU is focused on this one truck, this incident is just a drop in the bucket. Illegal dumping respects no borders. It's a global issue that contaminates soil and pollutes water. You would think such a horrible crime would carry serious consequences.

Unfortunately, the MRU noted that monetary fines are no longer a deterrent.

According to Lovin Malta, it actually costs operators more to dispose of waste legally, so they just risk the fine. While Maltese law allows courts to seize vehicles and suspend licenses for up to a year, those penalties have reportedly never been used.

This kind of flagrant dumping is happening everywhere, from one report of a family dumping 1,000 pounds of used diapers in a forest to another involving a company spilling raw sewage into a dolphin habitat for over a decade.

However, communities are fighting back. In Missouri, one city is clearing decades of dumped mattresses and tires. In San Antonio, officials are using "litter booms" to catch trash in its rivers.

These efforts show that progress is possible, but it also requires holding polluters accountable. 

What penalty should the music festival organizers in this week's WTF story face? A warning is fair 🚫 A small fine 💵 A large fine 💰 Jail time 👮 Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.

As many Facebook commenters noted, this behavior is just baffling.

"This is so worrying to see what is in the mind of such people," one user wrote.

"I honestly don't know if I have to cry or laugh," another added.

A third mused, "I wonder if he charged the client some hefty dumping fees."

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