European police seized 1,346 tonnes of illegal pesticides across Europe during a large-scale operation in January and April. "This quantity could be enough to spray more than all the agricultural land in Germany, which represents almost half of the country, and nearly 75% of the agricultural land in France," said in a statement published this Wednesday Europol, whose headquarters is located in The Hague (Netherlands).
Investigations still in progress
Many components of these pesticides came from Asia, especially from China and Japan, but also from Mexico and the United States, said Rien van Diesen, an expert from the European police agency. The products in question can seriously damage agricultural crops, pollute the environment and harm health. Many are also highly flammable, said the expert.
Depending on the seizures, investigations are still underway in Belgium, France, Germany, Poland, Slovenia and Switzerland.
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