Another sentence has been handed out in the U.K.’s largest-ever bust of illegal e-scrap exports.
A British court ordered Terence Dugbo to pay roughly $141,000 in fees and penalties for his role in an effort that illegally sent scrap from the U.K. to Ghana, Nigeria and Pakistan. The U.K. Environment Agency in 2008 started a lengthy investigation into a large exporting scheme that to date has resulted in more than $486,000 in fines and a host of convictions.
Dugbo was convicted earlier this year for his role in the operation. In December of 2012 eight other individuals and three companies were sentenced in the case. The sentencing for Dugbo was delayed because details around his finances were unclear.
The defendants in the case were accused by U.K. prosecutors in 2011 of illegally exporting 496 tons of scrap televisions, computers, refrigerators and other products. They were brought down by an Environment Agency sting codenamed “operation boron.”
Prosecutors vowed to continue patrolling the e-scrap export space.
“We are investigating other matters in relation to WEEE [waste of electronic and electrical equipment] which are ongoing at the moment,” said one Environment Agency official, “and although it is too early to reveal any details we can say that WEEE is certainly one of our priorities.”
