EU crackdown disrupts illegal HFC trade

BELGIUM: A six-month operation to disrupt the illegal trade in refrigerant gases has intercepted more than 400,000 tonnes of CO2 equivalent material. 

Operation Khione, which ran from May to October 2024, and was led by OLAF, the European Commissions anti-fraud office, is said to have prevented a total market loss of over €4.5m.

While no specific refrigerants are mentioned, 400,000 tonnes of CO2e is equivalent to around 200 tonnes of R410A or 280 tonnes of R134a.

Named after the Greek goddess of snow, the operation was carried out alongside customs authorities from 16 member states as well as Turkey and Ukraine, which are key in the transit of illegal refrigerant gas shipments to the EU. It focused on identification and monitoring of consignments of refrigerant gas for which the suspicion existed that the goods would be smuggled into the EU. 

The operation included inspections of warehouses and distributions centres where the illicit refrigerant gases were often stored for resale on the black market. 

“Illegal trade in refrigerant gases not only undermines the EU’s green goals but also endangers public safety. Through this operation, OLAF and national customs services have shown that we can effectively disrupt this dangerous trade,” said OLAF director-general Ville Itälä.

Currently, criminal and customs proceedings are being conducted in Poland, Italy, Romania, Slovakia, France and the Czech Republic regarding irregularities in gas trade.

The operation brought together customs authorities from Poland, Latvia, Germany, Slovakia, Hungary, Greece, Estonia, Lithuania, Spain, Italy, Belgium, Netherlands, France, Bulgaria, Croatia and Romania, Türkiye and Ukraine.