The administration of the City of Liège is outraged by a massive fly-tip of waste left in the Drioxhe neighbourhood. So much so that police have been assigned to the “crime scene” to help trace the offenders, RTL Info reports. In total, more than 60 cubic metres of waste were dumped.
More than 20 employees of the City, accompanied by the police, are sifting through the waste in an attempt to find evidence which would link the illegal waste dump to the perpetrators. The massive haul of waste was dumped by the criminals across hundreds of metres squared of land.
“We are looking for clues to identify people,” explains Alain Joadoul, director of the Droixhe police station. “Either via a plate number, or via the national register if we have surname, first name, and an address, or via a bank if we have an account number.”
Investigations into these types of fly tips are often successful. More than 3,300 people were identified by waste dumps last year. This allows police to understand the typical profile of a fly-tipper. In the majority of cases, the waste is not from local residents, but rather people from outside of the community who take advantage of the night to dump in vacant lots.
In total, it will take many garbage trucks and a full day of work to attempt to identify the perpetrators and to clean up the mess. The city is determined to find the culprits to reimburse the expense.
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“It’s a cost for the community,” said Gilles Forêt, environment councillor in Liège. “Our procedures are improving. We are becoming more and more efficient and we are going to show citizens who do not respect the living environment of Liège that it is over.”
Fines for a typical fly-tip can vary between €500 and €600. In some extreme cases, where the waste is particularly voluminous or dangerous, this sum can reach up to €1 million. These amounts have recently been increased to serve as a deterrent.
