Illegal waste trafficking between Sicily and Calabria: assets worth 4 million seized, twenty under investigation
#Siracusa
The Carabinieri of the Ecological Operational Unit in Catanzaro, with the support of the provincial commands in Catanzaro, Vibo Valentia, Crotone, Matera, and Siracusa, have carried out an order for precautionary measures against 20 individuals under investigation for illegal waste trafficking. Six people were arrested while ten others were put under house arrest. Four individuals were banned from conducting business in the environmental sector. Immovable industrial property, two waste recovery and treatment plants, and 17 vehicles worth a total of €4 million were seized. The investigation revealed complex trafficking of waste from organic fractions originating from Calabrian and Sicilian municipalities, as well as other types of waste. The aim was to reduce transport to final destination facilities and lower costs by loading vehicles to maximum capacity, often mixing different types of waste. This resulted in falsely attesting to the reception and treatment of large quantities of waste, alongside the discovery of illicit landfills for special non-hazardous waste. The Carabinieri also conducted numerous interventions to prevent further environmental impacts, including documenting instances of burial and illegal burning of waste. Precautionary measures were also taken against three waste management facilities where waste was disposed of through burning and dumping in surface waters.
SIGDS