Illegal car dismantlers are being targeted by local authorities, which have resorted to the use of helicopters and even satellite images, in a bid to stamp out a recent rise in unauthorised dealing in car parts, reports the Irish Times.

Significant rises in the cost of metal and car parts have led to an increase in the number of illegal car dismantlers, with consequent concern that end-of-life vehicles are not being taken to industry-backed authorised treatment facilities (ATFs).

In Co Cork for example, a recent investigation revealed 127 unauthorised vehicle dumps compared to just five authorised ones. While some of the dumps represented just six or seven cars dumped in a field, the council said others numbered up to 3,000 dumped vehicles.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), has told local authorities they can use the Waste Management Act, to see penalties of up to 15 years in prison imposed alongside fines of €12million for cases taken to the High Court….The State agencies are concerned that engine fluids, fuels and battery acids are doing significant damage to watercourses and soils, when cars are stripped for valuable bits by unscrupulous operators….

Irish Times