Operation Demeter yields tons of illegal shipments of hazardous waste

[ozoneorbit]

Brussels, 8 July 2009

A joint global Customs initiative across Europe, the Asia/Pacific
region and Africa netted more than 30000 tons and 1,500 pieces of
illegal hazardous waste in 57 seizures, ranging from household waste
and scrap metal to discarded electronic goods and used vehicle parts.

Between March and May 2009, Customs administrations from 64 countries
launched Operation Demeter targeting the illicit cross-border shipment
of hazardous and other waste en route from Europe to countries in the
Asia/Pacific region and Africa. This fifty-day operation which was
coordinated by the WCO Secretariat was aimed at increasing information
exchange among Customs administrations; a vital element in tackling
environmental crime at the border.

Customs officials at over 300 seaports and other selected points
intensified their risk profiling and physical controls to identify
high risk shipments, and notified each other of any suspicious
shipments across the continents. They were supported by their national
environmental agencies, the Secretariat of the Basel Convention, the
EU Network for Implementation and Enforcement of Environmental Law
(IMPEL), and the seven WCO Regional Intelligence Liaison Offices
(RILO) located in the participating regions. Officers in European
exporting countries also followed up investigations of illegal
exporters based on feedback from countries in Africa and the Asia/
Pacific. CENcomm, the WCO’s secure communication tool, was used by
these officials to exchange over 500 intelligence messages during the
operation.

The majority of seizures took place in European countries such as the
Netherlands, Belgium, and Italy before the waste could be shipped.
Iron scrap destined for Asia topped the list in terms of quantities
seized. Africa remained the ‘destination of choice’ for household
waste such as used refrigerators containing CFCs and old television
screens, with over 1100 of the approximately 1500 pieces seized
destined for countries on the continent. On 9 June 2009 Customs
officers at a container terminal in Lagos, Nigeria opened a container
after it had been under surveillance for exactly one month based on
intelligence provided by their Customs counterparts in Europe. The
container was fully loaded with waste television sets but remained
unclaimed!

WCO Secretary General, Kunio Mikuriya, said, “ The international
Customs community and its partners cannot allow the illicit trade in
environmentally sensitive goods to continue unabated when it has such
devastating affects on the health and safety of people around the
globe”. He added, “ Rising international concerns about the fragility
of the environment spurs us on to strengthen Customs border controls
through focused capacity building initiatives and enhanced exchange of
information as this will ensure that the illegal activities of
syndicates involved in this trade are dealt a massive blow”. Mr.
Mikuriya further added, “ Although most of the hazardous waste can be
used as secondary raw material, it can still do detrimental damage to
the environment if not recycled in an environment-friendly manner
which is often the case in developing countries lacking proper
facilities, a fact which criminals use to their advantage”. In
conclusion the Secretary General said, “ The success of Operation
Demeter can be attributed to our desire to protect the environment for
future generations, the strong political will and commitment of WCO
Member Customs administrations, and excellent cooperation with our
partners at the national, regional and international level; in fact
the WCO is now even more determined to bolster the partnership further
as coordination, cooperation and communication are the enemies of
those who profit from this trade”.

Under the Basel Convention which regulates the transboundary movement
of hazardous wastes and their disposal, parties have the right to
prohibit the import of waste. Parties are also prohibited from
exporting waste without pre-consent from importing countries. Where
this occurs without consent it is regarded as illegal trafficking and
exporting countries are obligated to take back the waste or dispose of
it properly in accordance with the terms of the Basel Convention.

Ms. Katharina Kummer Peiry, Executive Secretary of the Basel
Convention, said, “ Operation Demeter has confirmed the critical role
of Customs authorities, the crucial importance of effective
information sharing systems and the necessity for international
cooperation to combat the illegal traffic of hazardous wastes. I note
that the vast majority of seizures took place in European countries
before the export actually took place, a positive signal as it means
earlier intervention in the illegal traffic waste chain”. She added,
“The outcomes of the Operation also provide very useful information on
the types of waste streams that are the object of illegal traffic as
well as on the countries of destination of these wastes”. In
conclusion Ms. Peiry said, “The Secretariat of the Basel Convention is
grateful to have had the opportunity to collaborate with the World
Customs Organization in this Operation and looks forward to continued
cooperation”.

The WCO will continue to cooperate closely with its partners in the
Green Customs initiative as the Organization remains of the firm
belief that environment crime can only be effectively combated through
concerted action on all fronts. These actions include even more
capacity building for Customs officials working on the frontline, the
development of enhanced tools to support these officials and global
Customs operations aimed at squeezing the life-blood out of this
illegal trade.



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