Police seize over 1 tonne of meth

Police in south China’s Hainan Province have seized 1,060 kilograms of methamphetamine, sometimes referred to as ice, the largest ever haul of the drug in the province, police said Thursday.

Nine suspects, including the alleged ringleader, surnamed Zhuang, and drug producers, were arrested on Jan. 8, said a police officer with the provincial public security department at a press conference.

Based in the provincial capital Haikou, the gang contacted dealers in Guangdong Province and also sold the drugs to other areas of Hainan.

Hainan initiated a three-year drug control campaign from November 2016, and started offering up to 100,000 yuan (14,600 U.S. dollars) to informants the next month.

To date, more than 1,700 suspects in connection with drug-related crimes have been caught in over 1,500 cases, up 193 percent and 207 percent year on year, respectively, according to the police officer.

A total of 3 million yuan has been awarded to informants so far.

Balgay Road/Scott Street pavement improvements

Having, on behalf of residents, raised the poor condition of pavements along Balgay Road and in the short west part of Scott Street west of Balgay Road (towards the Balgay Park entrance) in the past, I am pleased to see the long-awaited resurfacing now being completed.

Here’s a plan of the works kindly supplied to me by Tayside Contracts and a couple of photos of the works :

Press release: Jailed business owner loses environmental licence

A jailed Tyne & Wear business owner has had the environmental permit for his scrapyard revoked.

The Environment Agency took the action against Peter Wallace, owner of a scrapyard in Barmoor Quarry in Ryton, following a series of breaches of permit conditions on the site after he was jailed in 2013 for drug offences.

Wallace had his permit taken away on 20 June 2016 but then appealed against the decision.

The Planning Inspectorate has now dismissed the appeal on the grounds that he was no longer in control of the facility. The decision means that Barmoor Quarry is no longer authorised to accept and treat waste metals.

Environmental permits ensure the protection of the environment and local communities from the risk of pollution caused through the carrying out of waste activities.

Under the regulations, the permit must be in the name of the person who has overall control of the facility. The permit for Barmoor Quarry scrapyard was in the name of its owner, Peter Wallace, yet Director Mr Birkett of Ryton Breakers has managed the day to day running of the business since 2008.

In January 2014, a few months after the permit holder was imprisoned, a site visit by the Environment Agency identified eight permit breaches including oil spillages and storage of salvage vehicles containing brake fluid and oil were stored on unprotected land.

While many of the breaches were addressed by Mr Birkett, a further eight breaches were identified in September 2015. At the time, Mr Birkett was advised regarding the transfer of the environmental permit to his name, however, no application was made and it was clear that as the permit holder, Peter Wallace, no longer had control over the site.

Wallace has until 8 March 2017 to clear all waste from the site. If he does not comply, he may face the prospect of further legal action.

A spokesperson for the Environment Agency said:

The Environment Agency has revoked the environmental permit for Barmoor Quarry to protect the environment and ensure a level playing field for legitimate businesses. It is clear that the permit holder is no longer in a position to ensure compliance with permit conditions.

It is vital that waste companies comply with the law so that communities and the environment are not put at risk.

We work with operators to help them meet their obligations, but where significant or repeated breaches occur, we will take appropriate action to protect the environment.

On 11 January, the Planning Inspectorate dismissed Peter Wallace’s appeal and found in favour of the Environment Agency, bringing into effect the permit revocation.

Anyone who experiences problems from this or any other waste site is urged to report the matter to the Environment Agency’s incident hotline on 0800 807060 or CrimeStoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Press release: Landowners warned after waste dumped illegally

Durham Police and the Environment Agency are warning landowners to be vigilant after a significant illegal waste site was discovered on private land in County Durham last week (10 February 2017).

More than 600 bales of general household waste were found dumped on the premises of a former foundry in Tow Law.

Officers from Durham Police and the Environment Agency attended the scene after they were alerted to the activities taking place at the site.

This is the latest in a recent spate of illegal waste dumping across the region. The Environment Agency currently has three ongoing investigations relating to eight sites where baled waste has been dumped over the last six months.

Environmental laws state that waste producers, brokers, road hauliers and landowners each have a responsibility to ensure waste is dealt with legally and correctly for the protection of the environment and communities. The Environment Agency will seek to take action against all parties responsible for this illegal activity.

Dave Edwardson, Enforcement Team Leader at the Environment Agency in the North East, said:

Landowners can be vulnerable. Waste dumped in vacant buildings or land may leave landowners with the responsibility and costs of disposing of the waste, which can be considerable.

We’re determined to tackle waste crime such as this; waste that isn’t managed properly can impact on communities, the environment and legitimate businesses and won’t be tolerated.

I’d urge all landowners, farmers and property agents to be vigilant and report any concerns or anything suspicious to us straight away.

Waste producers and road hauliers must ensure they adhere to their Duty of Care when they are managing waste. They can contact the Environment Agency if they need any advice or information.

Anyone with information about those responsible for this or similar incidents is asked to contact the Environment Agency’s 24-hour Incident Hotline on 0800 807060, or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Electronic fence to be launched in Baiyun Airport

An airplane flies over the Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport in Guangzhou, capital of south China’s Guangdong Province, June 6, 2012. [Xinhua photo]

With the development of drones, airliners’ safety has been threatened in recent years. Since the beginning of 2017, the safety of some airliners was influenced by drones.

Huang Hao, vice-general manager from Baiyun International Airport, said they are designing an electronic fence to block unmanned aircraft from flying in sensitive areas.

Huang also said they will establish the electronic fence to block UVA within airport boundaries. Once UVA enters into its boundary, the electronic fence system will disturb the UVA system and make it return automatically. Also, the Baiyun International Airport will cooperate with the local government and the police to strengthen the safety campaign and the daily monitor.

Yang Jieqiong, the deputy secretary-general of Shenzhen UAV Industry Association, said that there are more than 50,000 unmanned aerial vehicle (UVA) players in China, and more than half of them are in the Pearl River Delta region. The number of the UVA players is still increasing rapidly. Most of players do not have qualifications for UVA operation.

Technical measures could be taken to block UVA from the airport, said Yang. However, these technical measures have not been used in airports in Guangdong Province. Moreover, Yang calls for strengthening law enforcement and establishing real-name registration system for UVA players to ensure the safety of airliners.

The electronic fence is expected to be launched within the year.