Investigation, prosecutions and adjudication of waste crime
Selected national cases on prosecuting waste crimes - Spain
Spain
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In a Spanish case the Civil Guard (Guardia Civil) discovered a company and an organised crime group involved in the illegal export of ozone-depleting substances, the use and introduction of which onto the market has been banned in the EU since 2010.
The investigations had several cross-border aspects. The Spanish police started their investigations only after the Ministry of the Environment was informed of the suspected export of the banned R-22 gas from the EU to Panama.
The French national gendarmerie and Europol also supported the investigation. The latter has been coordinating the operation since 2017, providing intelligence, analytical and operational support and liaising with Member States and non-EU countries.
The operation revealed that the company had repackaged as regenerated gas some 10 000 kg of R-22 refrigerant liquids that should have been sorted as hazardous waste. The gas illegally exported in this way would have released 17 000 tones of CO2 into the atmosphere.
Ten people were involved in the smuggling, and this illegal activity generated a profit of between EUR 500 000 and EUR 1 million.