Environment Agency investigation leads to multi-million pound penalties for Belgravia man and accomplices after widespread illegal waste disposal across England

A major crackdown on illegal waste dumping across England has finally caught up with one of the country’s most notorious offenders.

Varun Datta, 36, from Belgravia, has been ordered to pay over £1.4 million after orchestrating the disposal of more than 4,000 tonnes of waste at multiple unlicensed sites.

The shocking scale of his operation stretched from the South East to the North West, impacting farms, factories, and even nature reserves.

A Nationwide Web of Illegal Dumping

Investigators from the Environment Agency uncovered 16 illegal waste sites linked to Datta and his associates.

Locations included a farm near Peterborough, a manor in Ewhurst, Surrey, and a warehouse in Margate, Kent.

The total amount of waste—about 4,275 tonnes—is roughly equivalent to the weight of 600 African elephants.

Much of the waste was wrapped in plastic to give the false appearance of legality, but inspections revealed baled rubbish, bricks, rubble, and rampant rat infestations.

Some sites even caught fire, burning for up to a month, highlighting the serious environmental hazards involved.

Sentences and Fines: Justice Delivered

Datta faces a complex set of penalties.

The court imposed a confiscation order of £1,116,432, reflecting the financial gain he earned from the scheme.

On top of that, he must pay £100,000 in compensation and £200,000 in prosecution costs.

His prison sentence of four months was suspended for 18 months, and he is also required to complete 30 days of rehabilitation and 200 hours of unpaid work.

Two other men were also punished: Mohammed Saraji Bashir, 45, from Peterborough, received a four-month suspended sentence with similar rehabilitation and unpaid work requirements.

Robert McAllister, 55, from North London, was fined £750 for failing to comply with duty-of-care obligations as a waste broker.

Warrants remain active for Sandeep Golechha, 53, and Jason Newman, who are believed to have helped falsify documents and facilitate illegal dumping.

Environmental Damage and Community Impact

Judge Paul Farrar KC described the offences as “reckless,” noting that some sites produced strong odours and swarms of flies, seriously affecting local air quality.

Landowners were forced to pay large sums to clear illegally deposited waste.

The £100,000 in compensation covers clean-up costs at Middlesbrough’s former Sulzer Dowding Mills factory site and the Middleton Nature Reserve in Lancashire, with an additional £30,000 allocated for future management of the reserve.

Middlesbrough Council will receive £70,000 towards the clean-up efforts there.

How Datta’s Scheme Operated

Datta registered his company, Atkins Recycling Ltd, as a waste broker in 2015.

He claimed that the waste was being sent to the legal Kiveton Park facility near Sheffield, but in reality, it was rerouted to unauthorized sites across the country.

Investigators believe Golechha assisted in falsifying weighbridge documents to cover up the diversions.

The majority of the waste consisted of mixed municipal materials, wrapped and baled to disguise the illegal disposal.

Authorities seized £131,520 in cash from Datta’s home in 2018 and applied restraint orders on two bank accounts in 2022 to ensure confiscation orders could be enforced.

Government and Agency Response

Emma Viner, from the Environment Agency’s National Environmental Crime Unit, emphasized the determination to tackle waste crime:

“Despite attempts to hide their activities, our nationwide investigation revealed the full scope of their criminality.

We will continue fighting the environmental and social damage caused by waste crime.”

Environment Secretary Emma Reynolds added:

“This shocking case shows that criminals cannot operate above the law.

The Government is committed to stamping out waste crime by increasing funding, strengthening regulations, and ensuring tougher penalties for offenders.”

What’s Next?

Authorities urge the public to remain vigilant.

Anyone who suspects illegal dumping can report it to the Environment Agency hotline at 0800 807060 or anonymously through Crimestoppers at 0800 555 111.

Meanwhile, the investigation continues for other outstanding suspects, and stricter checks for waste brokers are expected to be enforced in the coming months.

Summary

Varun Datta’s multi-million-pound illegal waste operation is one of the largest environmental crime cases in recent memory.

Across 16 sites in England, more than 4,000 tonnes of waste caused serious environmental and community harm.

While Datta, Bashir, and McAllister have faced fines, suspended prison sentences, and compensation orders, the investigation highlights ongoing challenges in monitoring waste disposal and enforcing regulations.

The case sends a clear message: attempts to profit from illegal dumping will not go unpunished.