The Director of electronic goods shipping company Bakour Limited has been sentenced to 18 months in prison, suspended for two years, for trying to illegally export electrical waste to countries in West Africa.

Adam Bakour appeared at Reading Crown Court yesterday (23 March) facing charges relating to the attempted illegal export of containers holding waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE).

The court heard that between October 2011 and August 2013, the company attempted to illegally export six shipping containers containing WEEE, some of which was hazardous, from its site at Rushton Farm to countries outside of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

The containers were examined by the Environment Agency (EA) to determine compliance with the Revised Correspondents Guidelines of Shipments of Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment, the European standard to establish whether a shipment of electrical and electronic equipment should be classified as waste or not.

They were found to hold WEEE, including, among other items, cathode ray tube televisions and fridge freezers, which contain hazardous components. Under EU law, hazardous WEEE should not be sent to countries that lack the capacity and infrastructure to ensure that the items are treated without risk to human health or the environment.

Interviewed under caution

The court heard that company director Adam Bakour was interviewed twice under caution in relation to the illegal shipments. Bakour stated that his company ‘only exports working electrical goods and does not deliberately ship any waste items’.

In reference to the containers under scrutiny, he said that his employees ‘had not been doing their jobs properly’.

Following the infringements, an Enforcement Notice was served on Bakour Limited. EA officer Heather White informed the court that during a visit to the firm on 10 September 2013, she found that ‘procedures had improved’.

White conducted a second visit on 27 September of that year, EA officers concluded that the ‘entire Notice had been complied with’.

Sentencing

However, yesterday the court handed Bakour an 18-month prison sentence, suspended for two years, and ordered him to pay £5,000 towards the EA investigation costs.

Bakour Limited was also issued a fine of £7,950 for the illegal export of WEEE and hazardous waste.

Following the conclusion of the trial White said: “Criminals may see illegal waste exports as an easy route to make money, but today’s verdict shows that waste crime doesn’t pay.

“Sending waste electrical and electronic equipment with hazardous components to less economically-developed countries is not only unlawful but immoral. It’s a crime that shows a blatant disregard for the safety and welfare of overseas communities and the environment.”

Waste crime crackdown

This news comes only a week after the announcement that Bedfordshire-based waste management company Monoworld Limited had been ordered to pay more than £23,000 for the illegal shipment of waste.

In addition to this, on 10 March six people were arrested during dawn raids following an investigation led by the EA into the illegal dumping of waste.

Find out more about the increasing efforts to crack down on waste crime.