A major multi-agency operation across three counties has resulted in two arrests and the seizure of almost £100,000 in cash, firearms, and suspected counterfeit goods, all linked to an investigation into illegal waste activity and money laundering.
Widespread Raids Uncover Cash and Firearms
Specialist economic crime officers from West Mercia Police, supported by neighbourhood teams and partner agencies, executed a series of warrants on the morning of 8th January 2026. The coordinated strikes targeted locations across Herefordshire, Shropshire, and Worcestershire.
Officers seized approximately £97,000 in physical cash during the raids, with a further estimated £200,000 to £300,000 identified in linked bank accounts. Dozens of bags containing potential counterfeit electrical items were also discovered at the addresses, alongside business material and digital devices now subject to forensic examination.
Farm Search and Firearms Recovery
One key location was a farm in Peopleton, Pershore, where around £60,000 in cash was found alongside electrical goods suspected of being connected to money laundering. A suspected stolen vehicle was recovered from this site.
In a significant development, two men were arrested at an address in Drakes Broughton, near Pershore, on suspicion of firearms offences. At that property, police seized six firearms and approximately £18,000 in cash.
Partnership Action Against Environmental Crime
The operation was conducted by West Mercia Police in partnership with the Environment Agency, the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA), Wychavon District Council, and the National Vehicle Crime Intelligence Service (NaVCIS). Specialist resources, including Task Force rapid entry officers and digital detection dogs, were deployed.
Safer Neighbourhood Inspector for Wychavon, Dave Wise, stated: "This operation is a significant development in an ongoing investigation into suspected money laundering linked to illegal waste activity. Illegal waste activity is a blight on our environment and cannot be tackled by any single agency acting alone."
Marc Lidderth, West Midlands Area Director at the Environment Agency, emphasised the success of the partnership approach: "The results of this day of action are a great example of utilising different agencies’ enforcement powers to reach a successful outcome and disrupt criminal activity." He revealed that in the 2024/5 period, the Environment Agency successfully stopped activity at 743 illegal waste sites nationally, with 84 of those in the West Midlands region.
The investigation remains ongoing, and police are urging anyone with information about illegal waste dumping to contact the Environment Agency incident hotline.
