Criminal Network Behind Illegal Plastic Waste Trade Dismantled by Spanish Authorities

The Civil Guard said there was suspicion of involvement of "a number of companies related to the management of plastic waste" in Spain, France, and also in Portugal.

For years, environmentally harmful plastic waste from Europe is said to have been brought to the most remote corners of the world by tons. The authorities in Spain are now putting an end to the illegal business.

Spanish police have broken up a gang that was illegally exporting 41,000 tons of plastic waste to third countries.

Five people had been arrested, and about 15 more were investigated, according to the corresponding notification from the Guardia Civil police unit.The waste, which is difficult to recycle and is hazardous to the environment, is said to have been transported, traded and stored without authorisation.In Spain, it was deposited, among other things, at three unapproved landfills in the regions of León and Valencia.In cooperation with Europol and the …

For years, environmentally harmful plastic waste from Europe is said to have been brought to the most remote corners of the world by tons. The authorities in Spain are now putting an end to the illegal business.

In the "Finoplast" operation, six searches were made in Spain, France and Portugal and five persons arrested, 15 others were investigated by "illegal traffic of more than 41,000 tons of garbage", in particular, plastics from agriculture, according to a communication from the Spanish Civil Guard, the police force that coordinated the investigation. The Civil Guard says that it was "contained a criminal organization" and that most of the plastics …