A Coventry man has been fined more than £16,000 for his role in a massive illegal waste-burning operation that took advantage of the COVID-19 lockdown, according to CoventryLive. Officials say the environmental crime left behind a "smoking wasteland."
According to the Environment Agency, Sonial Surpal, 52, was among 12 people convicted for running an illegal waste site in Long Bennington, Lincolnshire. Between October 2019 and May 2020, large lorry loads of shredded waste were regularly dumped and set on fire near residential neighborhoods, filling the air with toxic smoke.
The operation intensified during the national shutdown in March 2020, when enforcement was more difficult and public attention was elsewhere. In court, Judge Coupland described the site as a "scorched and smoking landscape" and estimated that the gang earned around £500,000 from their activities.
Surpal, who had already served a 13-month sentence, has now been ordered to repay £16,511 under the Proceeds of Crime Act. Surpal's accomplices — Luke Woodward, Robert Malone, and others — were also fined thousands of pounds for their roles in transporting or facilitating the illegal dumping.
Officials say the Environment Agency is continuing to pursue others connected to the operation. "Waste crime blights communities," said Peter Stark, enforcement team leader for the Environment Agency. "It is only right that those who seek to profit from it should have their ill-gotten gains confiscated. It's a cautionary tale for anyone tempted to operate outside the law."
Beyond the financial penalties, this case underscores the hidden environmental toll of waste crime. Illegal dumping and burning release harmful pollutants into the air and soil — endangering local ecosystems, increasing carbon pollution, and putting public health at risk.
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Clean-waste tracking technologies and community-led recycling initiatives are helping combat illegal dumping, empowering residents to report violations and push for stronger environmental enforcement.
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