He is suspected of having thrown in the Mediterranean, off the Alpes-Maritimes, bags of polyurethane, a material derived from plastic.

A cargo ship flying the Panamanian flag is under investigation, the Marseille prosecutor's office announced on Thursday.

It all began on August 21 with the report of a boater, at the Cap-Ferrat semaphore, of the rejection by a ship "of waste, contained in two bags of rubble", explained the prosecution.

Two bags containing polyurethane, one of a cubic meter and the second half-filled, were then recovered by the customs boat guided by air means, while the ship was on its way to Savona in Italy.

"Ensure the appearance of the respondents"

On August 29, a preliminary investigation was opened on the count of unauthorized dumping of garbage into the territorial sea.

An offense punishable in France, according to the environmental code, of one year of imprisonment and a fine of 200,000 euros.

A request for a European investigation was also addressed to the Italian authorities and executed three days later, by the prosecutor of Salerno, "port in which the ship had been identified as calling", according to the prosecutor Dominique Laurens.

"The investigations requested, in particular the observations on board and the hearing of the captain, made it possible to confirm the involvement of the ship," she added.

The criminal investigation is continuing in order in particular to ensure the appearance of the accused, natural and legal persons, before the Criminal Court of Marseille.

"

Planet

Twenty years after the Erika, how do we organize ourselves to avoid oil spills in the Mediterranean?

Planet

In the Mediterranean, the Paddle Cleaner association is hunting down waste

  • Plastic

  • Boat

  • Pollution

  • Sea

  • Miscellaneous

  • Nice

  • Planet

  • Mediterranean

  • Cargo