The criminal group, which operated in Italy, Austria, Germany, Croatia, Serbia and Switzerland, had set up an illegal system in which they transformed ash containing highly toxic materials into supposedly environmentally friendly charcoal for use in barbecue briquettes, fertilisers and concrete additives. The group also traded in CO2 quotas and set up a web of companies across Europe. Through these activities, the group gained an illicit profit of hundreds of thousands of euros. 

To legitimise their illegal activities, the group allegedly had close ties to senior officials in the local government’s environmental agency. These officials are suspected of playing a key role in supporting, covering up and facilitating the illegal waste trading. They enabled the activities by delaying sanctions, interfering with inspections and advising companies on how to circumvent bans. 

The Italian authorities investigated the illegal activities for four years, uncovering the group’s black market and its close ties to political figures. Due to the group’s activities across Europe and the location of the suspects, international cooperation was established through Eurojust to expand the investigation and take action. 

The Agency supported the Italian authorities in executing a first set of European Investigation Orders (EIOs) during the preliminary stage of the investigation. Based on information gathered through the EIOs, multiple European Arrest Warrants (EAWs) were executed in Germany, Austria and Croatia, and searches of the suspects’ premises were carried out. Eurojust ensured that all EIOs and EAWs were properly transmitted to the relevant countries and facilitated the smooth exchange of information ahead of the action day. Europol facilitated cooperation at the police level, while OLAF tracked cross-border flows of ash and ash-derived products. 

Eurojust National Member for Italy, Filippo Spiezia, commented on the successful actions: ‘With this operational case Eurojust confirm its full commitment in supporting the coordination of investigations for environmental crimes. Our action will take further impetus from the new EU Directive on environmental crime which is about to be fully effective next week in the EU Member States. We express our gratitude to all our partners for their great cooperation in this very complex investigation’

During an international action day, authorities worked together to stop the illegal waste trading. Nineteen suspects were identified, 12 of whom are now in pre-trial detention. Five of the identified suspects were arrested in Italy, two in Germany and two in Croatia. One of the production plants operated by the companies in Italy has been seized as a precautionary measure while investigations continue. 

The actions were carried out by the following authorities:

• Italy: Public Prosecutor’s Office Trento - Antimafia Directorate; Carabinieri – Environmental Special Unit of Trento
• Austria: Public Prosecutor’s Office Feldkirch; Public Prosecutor’s Office Innsbruck; Provincial CID Tyrol; Provincial CID Vorarlberg; District Command of the Federal Police Imst; District  Command of the Federal Police Kufstein
• Croatia: County State Attorney's Office in Bjelovar; Ministry of the Interior, Koprivnica – Križevci Police Department
• Germany: Public Prosecutor’s Office Münster; Public Prosecutor’s Office Aurich; GPO Oldenburg; Public Prosecutor’s Office Aschaffenburg; Police station Aurich/Wittmund Lower Saxony – Search Unit, Fraud Investigations Unit & Cybercrime Unit; State Office of Criminal Investigations Lower Saxony – Fugitive Active Search Team (ENFAST); Münster Police Headquarters – Organized Crime Division; Criminal Investigation Department Aschaffenburg