Spain Dismantles Network That Was Taking Hazardous Waste to Ghana

Spanish police have dismantled a criminal organization suspected of illegally exporting hazardous waste to Ghana, authorities said Friday (8).

Three people were arrested in Seville and a fourth is being investigated in Murcia after agents intercepted a container at the port of Algeciras containing 19 tons of vehicle engines, fuel tanks with gasoline residue and other oil-soaked waste, the Andalusian regional government said.

The customs documentation presented “did not reflect the actual content of the shipment, which highlights an alleged document falsification and possible customs fraud,” the Junta de Andalusia explained in a statement.

International regulations prohibit the shipment of hazardous waste to countries that do not have adequate facilities for its treatment.

The suspects, all Ghanaian nationals, face charges including environmental crimes and being part of a criminal group.

Environmental control agencies and Interpol have long warned that European countries are a major source of dangerous shipments disguised as second-hand goods.

This lucrative trade takes advantage of weak law enforcement in receiving countries and the high costs of proper recycling in Europe, turning parts of Africa into dumping grounds for electronic waste, machinery, and industrial waste.

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