Warrant issued for arrest of Lincolnshire businessman who made millions illegally trading car parts
A Lincolnshire businessman has been found guilty of illegally trading in catalytic convertors. Edvars Stancik formerly of St Thomas Court, Long Sutton, failed to attend a trial at Lincoln Crown Court on his own behalf or that of his company, Platinum Group Metals Recycling Ltd.
The court heard that, between December 2019 and September 2021, Stancik, 30, acted as a director of Platinum Group Metals Recycling Ltd. It was through this company that he traded catalytic converters on a colossal scale.
Catalytic converters are components in car exhausts which are often valuable, but also contain carcinogenic fibres which, if ingested, can cause serious and irreversible lung disease. They must be handled only under the strict conditions of an environmental permit, supervised by the Environment Agency.
READ MORE:Sleaford pub landlord wins shiny new BMW - after already winning £163k Bentley
READ MORE:Jubilee Park open-air pool extends opening times and announces cold water swimming
A jury heard that neither Stancik nor his company had obtained an environmental permit before buying and selling thousands of catalytic converters. Stancik stored the containers at his home address and at containers in Lime Walk, Long Sutton. The devices were stored in an irresponsible manner giving rise to an unacceptable risk to human health.
It was found that found that Stancik and his company had been buying large quantities of catalytic converters and had sold at least 71 tonnes of them for recycling. Further investigations revealed that the business had turned over millions of pounds
It took a jury at Lincoln Crown Court less than half an hour to reach unanimous guilty verdicts. The case has now been adjourned for consideration of the confiscation of the proceeds of crime and the recovery of the Environment Agency’s costs.
Edvars Stancik and Platinum Group Metals Recycling Ltd will be sentenced at a later date. A warrant has been issued for the arrest of Edvars Stancik. Paul Salter, senior environmental crime officer for the Environment Agency, said: "Edvars Stancik and Platinum Group Metals Recycling Ltd crimes were not just illegal, but dangerous.
"Not only do we use environmental law to prosecute those who abuse the environment, but we also use the Proceeds of Crime legislation to ensure that criminals are deprived of the benefits of their illegal activity. We continue to use intelligence-led approaches to target the most serious crimes and evaluate which interventions are most effective."
The charges for this case are as follows:
Platinum Group Metals Recycling Ltd.
Operating a regulated facility, namely a waste operation, otherwise than in accordance with an environmental permit, contrary to Regulation 12(1)(a) and 38(1)(a) of the Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2016. (Relating to the site at St Thomas Court, Long Sutton).
Operating a regulated facility, namely a waste operation, otherwise than in accordance with an environmental permit, contrary to Regulation 12(1)(a) and 38(1)(a) of the Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2016. (Relating to the site at Lime Walk, Long Sutton.)
Keeping controlled waste contrary to section 33(1)(c) and (6) of the Environmental Protection Act 1990.) (Relating to the site at St Thomas Court, Long Sutton.)
Keeping controlled waste contrary to section 33(1)(c) and (6) of the Environmental Protection Act 1990. (Relating to the site at Lime Walk, Long Sutton.)
Edvars Stancik
Causing a company to operate a regulated facility otherwise in accordance with an environmental permit contrary to Regulation 12(1)(a) and 38(1)(a) by virtue of Regulation 41(1) and 41(3) of the Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2016. (Relating to the site at St Thomas Court, Long Sutton.)
Causing a company to operate a regulated facility otherwise in accordance with an environmental permit contrary to Regulation 12(1)(a) and 38(1)(a) by virtue of Regulation 41(1) and 41(3) of the Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2016. (Relating to the site at Lime Walk, Long Sutton)
Causing a company to commit an offence, contrary to section 33(1)(c), 33(6) by virtue of s157(1) of the Environmental Protection Act 1990. (Relating to the site at St Thomas Court, Long Sutton.)
Causing a company to commit an offence, contrary to section 33(1)(c), 33(6) by virtue of s157(1) of the Environmental Protection Act 1990. (Relating to the site at Lime Walk, Long Sutton).