Italian customs seize over 40 tonnes of illegal refrigerant
13th August 2024
ITALY: Customs authorities have intercepted over 40 tonnes of illegal HFC refrigerant at the port of Gioia Tauro, Italy.
During a routine verification check, customs officers found that a shipment declared as dichloromethane (aka methylene chloride) was in fact fluorinated gas.
The shipment is said to have comprised 112 non-refillable cylinders, which are banned in Europe, and 3377 refillable cylinders. The cylinders containing non-refillable HFCs were subjected to emergency criminal seizure, while the refrigerant in refillable cylinders received an administrative seizure due to the importer exceeding its F-gas quota.
Neither the name of the importer, nor the refrigerant(s) involved, have been revealed. Customs photographs do indicate that some of the shipment may have been in ISO tanks.
In addition to possible criminal charges, those responsible face administrative sanctions from €50,000 to €150,000.
Gioia Tauro is situated on the south west Tyrrhenian coast on the tip of Italy near the island of Sicily. It is an important port, situated along the route connecting Suez to Gibraltar.
