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Albanian arrested for refrigerant smuggling

Photo: General Regional Police Directorate Of Western Macedonia/ Florinasi Police Headquarters/Border Guard Department Kristallopigis

GREECE: An Albanian van driver has been arrested in Greece for illegally transporting more than three tonnes of HFC refrigerant.

The 29-year-old man was arrested last Sunday in Florina, a town in northwestern Macedonia, by police officers of the Krystallopigi Border Guard Department, for violating the legislation on the national customs code.

Photo: General Regional Police Directorate Of Western Macedonia/ Florinasi Police Headquarters/Border Guard Department Kristallopigis

The intercepted van was found to contain 242 cylinders of refrigerant, weighing more than three tonnes. The authorities have not named the refrigerant involved but photos suggest at least some of the illegal load is R410A.

The shipment is said to have been received from an unguarded crossing of the Greek-Albanian border, and was lacking import, customs clearance and payment of duties.

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