Pained garbage sinner in Birkholz in the act - hunters intervene!

Pained garbage sinner in Birkholz in the act - hunters intervene!

Birkholz, Deutschland - in Birkholz, more precisely on Birkholzer Straße, an unusual scene took place late Friday evening. On June 13, 2025 at 11:30 p.m., two men tried to illegally invite earth excavation on a forest path. A courageous group of hunters watched the men and acted immediately. They held the alleged perpetrators until the police arrived, which shows that the population is vigilant when it comes to environmental protection. As reported CityReport, the men previously re-installed the official license plates of their platform transporter.

But fate wanted it differently. The hunters noticed the secret actions of the men and were able to prevent them from finally taking off the excavation. When they arrived, the perpetrators shoveled the excavation of the earth back onto the vehicle and mounted the license plates again. After determining their personal details, they could finally leave the place. The competent municipality has already been informed about the attempted environmental level, which significantly underlines the treatment of such incidents.

environmental law in focus

But what are the legal consequences of such acts? A violation of environmental law can be seen as an administrative offense or even a crime depending on the severity. Administrative offenses that are defined in most environmental laws include the unauthorized establishment of a system that requires approval. The Federal Environment Agency regularly adapts the legal framework conditions, whereby laws such as the Water Household Act, the district management law or the Federal Nature Conservation are legally anchored. According to [Federal Environment Agency] (https://www.umweltbundeamt.de/themen/nachhalthaft-strategies-internationales/umweltungsverwärtigke- Environmental Criminal Center), sensitive financial losses can be imposed for such violations, whereby in special cases they can even be up to ten million euros.

Specifically in the case of Birkholz, the two men may have criminal proceedings because of the acceptance of their license plates. In addition to the possible environmental criminal proceedings, which can be punished with money or even imprisonment. In particular, severe environmental acts can be punished with prison terms of up to 15 years, which illustrates the seriousness of such acts.

The role of the public

The encounter between the hunters and the perpetrators shows how important an attentive public is. Environmental criminals are often only uncovered by intervening by third parties. The punishment of such acts is usually the responsibility of the federal states, which is why local initiatives are of great importance for information on environmental law and administrative offenses. A detailed overview of the various offenses in environmental law can be found on iwu, where the procedures are explained.

The incidents in Birkholz show us that the fight against environmental offenses is not only the responsibility of the authorities, but can also make a contribution here. So let's stay vigilant and we protect our nature - together we can achieve more!