350 tonnes of refrigerant seized in global crackdown
1st December 2024
BELGIUM: Close to 350 tonnes of HFCs and ozone depleting substances were seized during an eight-week crackdown this year by 110 worldwide customs organisations.
The latest Operation Demeter, the tenth such operation targeting illicit wastes, ozone depleting substances (ODS) and potent greenhouse gases, led to 450 seizures.
These seizures included 99 seizures of ODS, HFCs and equipment containing or relying on controlled substances under the Montreal Protocol. These totalled 344,625.9kg of ODS and HFCs, and 24,198.9kg and 11,620 pieces of equipment containing or relying on controlled substances.
Operation Demeter, organised by the World Customs Organisation (WCO), dates back to 2009 and is perhaps the most well-known of the efforts deployed by the customs community to implement the provisions of the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal, and, since 2019, to implement the provisions of the Montreal Protocol and the Kigali Amendment.
Seventeen customs administrations reported seizures related to substances controlled under the Montreal Protocol and the Kigali Amendment. Administrations from Gambia, Bulgaria and Italy stood out in the number of seizures they reported. However, in terms of the quantity seized, Sri Lanka took first place, followed by Italy and North Macedonia.
HFCs were the most prominently trafficked known commodities both in terms of the number of seizures and the quantity seized, while unspecified controlled substances and mixtures topped the list in terms of quantity seized. Eight customs administrations reported 27 seizures totalling 24,198.9kg, along with an additional 11,620 pieces of equipment.
Most seizures took place at inland and border posts and at seaports, with some seizures made at traders’ and sellers’ premises. Most seizures resulted from routine control.
“Operation Demeter gives an overview of the extent of environmental crime and of the need to increase vigilance. It is imperative to redouble our efforts to ensure a cleaner, safer, and more sustainable world,” said WCO deputy secretary general Ricardo Treviño Chapa.
