Man charged after hauling hazardous waste through German tunnel without permits
A 69-year-old man from Bielefeld was driving through the Ostwestfalen Dam tunnel toward Brackwede with his car and a trailer when authorities noticed aluminum and steel rods protruding roughly 2.2 meters above the tailgate of his 750-kilogram trailer.
During an inspection at a nearby parking lot, officers discovered old appliances, aluminum scrap, and steel waste scattered across the entire loading area and inside the car. Another trailer belonging to the 69-year-old was also parked on-site, filled with additional waste. Inside the abandoned horse trailer, investigators found hazardous materials, including barrels coated in waste oil and several car radiators containing residual coolant.
The driver was unable to present permits from the city of Bielefeld—required under the Circular Economy Act for collecting and handling scrap metal and hazardous waste. Collecting electronic waste, for example, is strictly reserved for licensed specialist companies.
Authorities confirmed that the man had conducted around 20 paid waste disposal operations. Suspicions also arose that he had failed to pay required fees for a business registered in 2021. Bielefeld Customs was notified to investigate potential offenses under fiscal law, including tax evasion.
The city's regulatory office arranged for the horse trailer to be transported to a municipal recycling center, where the hazardous materials were properly unloaded and disposed of.
The 69-year-old now faces charges for environmental offenses, violations of fiscal law, and regulatory breaches under the Circular Economy Act.
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