German TV exposes illegal refrigerant trade
22nd April 2026
GERMANY: The continuing black market in illegal refrigerants In Europe has been exposed in a new documentary by the German independent broadcaster Deutsche Welle (DW).
The 20-minute programme exposing the clandestine trade is to be broadcast on the channel’s business TV programme MADE (Made in Germany), but is currently available on YouTube.
With illicit refrigerant still widely advertised on the internet and being sold to uncertificated individuals at cheap prices, reporters successfully purchased a cylinder of R449A from a dealer operating from a lock-up in an industrial area on the outskirts of Berlin.
The dealer also had quantities of R404A, R410A and R134a, all imported from Turkey.
The programme, in English, can currently be viewed on the the DW Channel Planet A.
