A prolific waste criminal who used a Margate business park as an illegal dumping ground has been ordered to pay more than £1.4 million in fines and costs.
Varun Datta, 36, was the mastermind behind a nationwide conspiracy that saw over 4,275 tonnes of waste secretly diverted to unlicensed sites across England. Among the 16 locations trashed by the operation was Unit P, Continental Approach, at the Westwood Business Park in Margate.
Following a complex investigation by the National Environmental Crime Unit, Birmingham Crown Court ordered Datta from Belgravia, London, to hand over a staggering £1.1 million reflecting the direct financial benefit from his crimes, £100,000 in compensation for clean-up and management costs and £200,000 to cover prosecution costs. In addition to the £1.4 million total bill, Datta received a four-month prison sentence (suspended for 18 months), 30 days of rehabilitation, and 200 hours of unpaid work.
The case, heard at Birmingham crown court, also saw two others prosecuted. Mohammed Saraji Bashir, from Peterborough, also got a four-month suspended prison sentence, unpaid work and period of rehabilitation, while Robert McAllister, from north London, was fined £750. Warrants for the arrest of two other men are still active.
The court heard how Datta, acting through his company Atkins Recycling Ltd, claimed waste was being sent to a legal site near Sheffield. Instead, the loads were diverted to illegal dumps like the one in Margate to avoid disposal fees and maximize profit. Judge Paul Farrar KC branded the offences “reckless,” noting that the illegal sites were plagued by noxious smells and flies that impacted local air quality, substantial removal costs forced upon local landowners and lack of any environmental permits or safety exemptions.
“We will never stop fighting to end the scourge of waste crime which scars our environment and communities,” said Emma Viner, Enforcement and Investigations Manager at the Environment Agency.
Environment Secretary Emma Reynolds welcomed the ruling, stating it sends a “clear message to criminals that they have nowhere to hide.” The government has committed to boosting funds to tackle waste crime and introducing even tougher penalties for those who flout environmental laws.