 | There is big money to be made in illegal dumping. England's Environment Agency says "networks of career criminals" are increasingly getting involved in the perfect crime, illegal dumping. Because of the huge profits and light penalties, waste crime is being called the "new narcotics" of organized crime. |  Few cases result in sentences, making the crime extremely lucrative and low-risk. |
 | Waste carriers charge their customers a fee for the removal of each ton of waste. Almost half of that fee is paid to a licensed transfer station that then sorts and disposes of the waste. Criminals are offering to take waste at lower prices and then dump it, and business is booming. The Environment Agency estimates illegal waste and the criminals behind such crimes divert as much as £1 billion ($1.3 billion) every year. |
