Agents of the
National Police
in a joint operation with the
Tax Agency
and in collaboration with the
European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF), have dismantled the most active organization dedicated to the illegal import and treatment of fluorinated gases.
have dismantled the most active organization dedicated to the illegal importation and processing of fluorinated gases. Five people have been arrested as alleged members of a complex business network dedicated to the import, marketing and irregular distribution of tons of gases, which were used for refrigeration.
The organization carried out this activity in breach of EU regulations, as they did not have the required quota, causing the emission of tons of gases into the atmosphere without authorization. This quota, the limit of gases that an importer can import in a year, is established by the European Union for each country and is set as an environmental protection measure.
This is the largest Europe-wide operation against greenhouse gas fraud, with the seizure of more than 27,000 kilograms of fluorinated gases, which had a market value of more than 250,000 euros. In addition, more than 180,000 kilograms were discovered, with a value of more than one million euros.
The investigations began as a result of inspections carried out in two industrial warehouses of companies located in the town of Almagro (Ciudad Real, Spain) and in the municipality of Campo Real (Madrid, Spain), and which were carried out after learning of the unloading of two containers of fluorinated gas cylinders that had been imported without complying with the requirements established by the regulations. In total, 2,126 cylinders, equivalent to more than 27,000 kilograms of fluorinated gases, were seized.
Likewise, 1,068 empty bottles were found outdoors in an outdoor patio, some of them prohibited by the European Union, regardless of the gas content. Finally, an undetermined number of bottles cut in half were located, which meant the direct emission of residual gas into the atmosphere, as well as a serious hazard. In addition to the above, various irregularities of an administrative nature were observed related to the handling of containers, labeling and repainting of bottles and waste management, among others.
After advancing in the investigation, it was determined that the modus operandi of the criminal group consisted in the creation of companies in the name of front men that would have been engaged since 2018 in the import of fluorinated gases from China, evading customs controls by declaring in the single administrative documents an incorrect tariff heading that did not correspond to the imported genre. Subsequently, once in the Almagro and Campo Real warehouses, the fluorinated gases were distributed by a logistics company to customers in Spain, Germany, France, Portugal and Senegal.
It is estimated that the discovery of the imported merchandise would be more than 15,000 bottles of fluorinated gases. Documentation is still being analyzed to calculate the total amount of imported gases. However, taking into account the minimum volume of the containers, it can be estimated that the amount of imported fluorinated gas exceeds 180,000 kilograms.
At this point, it should be noted that most of the imported gas is R134A, which has a global warming potential of 1300, meaning that an emission of one ton is equivalent to the emission of 1,300 tons of carbon dioxide, contributing this amount to the global warming potential. In summary, this group was allegedly responsible for the emission into the atmosphere, in breach of EU regulations and therefore without authorization, of the equivalent of more than 234,000 tons of carbon dioxide.
On the other hand, a new inspection was carried out at the commercial establishment of an end customer in Tarragona, and it was found that goods that had been previously seized as a precautionary measure had been distributed. In addition, the bottles of fluorinated gases that did not contain the labeled and invoiced gas were distributed, for which the container was manipulated. All this was carried out for profit, since the invoiced bottle has a value six times higher, and evading the associated tax burden.
Finally, a police operation was carried out in which an entry and search was carried out at the fiscal domicile of the main company, leading to the arrest of five people as members of a criminal group and clarifying the crimes of smuggling, against the environment, fraud, serious disobedience and membership of a criminal group.
Source: National Police
