Watch: Man Caught Dumping And Burning Construction Waste In Protected Wardija Site
The Malta Ranger Unit (MRU) has captured shocking footage of a man brazenly dumping and burning massive amounts of construction waste in a protected area between Wardija and Xemxija, a site sandwiched between a Tree Protected Zone and a Bird Sanctuary.
The video shows the man driving a blue truck into the area, opening the gate, unloading the debris, and setting it on fire. Then, as if nothing happened, he went off… and came back for another load.
Authorities say this particular site has been plagued by illegal dumping and waste fires for years, but this is the first time someone has been caught in the act.
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Following the MRU’s quick alert, teams from the Environment & Resources Authority (ERA) and Civil Protection Malta rushed to the scene to put out the flames. Sadly, a carob tree was damaged in the fire.
The MRU didn’t mince words when describing the offender’s behaviour.
“Seeing the arrogance of the accused, and the public resources wasted because of his actions, we urge the authorities to finally use the full scope of the law,” they said. The law is clear: courts can order the seizure of any vehicle used in such offences for up to a year, and even suspend the offender’s driving licence for the same period.
Yet, despite the severity of cases like this, no such punishment has ever been handed down in Malta. The MRU says it’s time for that to change.
“Monetary fines don’t scare big operators anymore. It actually costs them more to dispose of waste legally, so they’d rather risk a fine. That needs to stop.”
The unit praised ERA officers, firefighters, and members of the public who helped stop the blaze and continue to report environmental abuse. This was not just illegal dumping, it was an environmental crime, carried out with shocking confidence in a protected area.
The MRU is now calling for tougher court sentences to make sure the next person who tries this thinks twice before lighting up another pile of waste in Malta’s countryside.
What do you think of this?
Video credits to @malta_ranger_unit
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