More than 5,000 tons of hazardous electronic waste exported illegally in two years: an organization behind a vast traffic of waste from the Canary Islands to West Africa has been dismantled, announced on Tuesday January 3, the Spanish authorities.
Spanish Customs and Civil Guard have "dismantled" a "criminal organization which, in the last two years, had managed to send from the (Spanish) island of Gran Canaria to Africa more than 5,000 tons of hazardous waste of electronic devices, obtaining an economic benefit of more than one and a half million euros," the Ministry of Finance said in a statement.
This waste contains substances and gases that damage the ozone layer and contribute to global warming, the statement added.
They were sent by boat, "mainly" to Mauritania, Nigeria, Ghana and Senegal.
Authorities arrested 43 people "for alleged crimes against the environment, forgery and use of forgery, and membership in a criminal organization."
The latter "removed the waste from the legal sector" with the help of a "supposed management company which falsified documents on origin and management", detailed the authorities.
This waste was then presented as second-hand items to be sent to these African countries.
However, this waste, which contains mercury, lead, cadmium, arsenic and phosphorus in particular, must be handed over to authorized companies for decontamination.
With AFP
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