Italy seized 500 tonnes of illegal HFC last year
7th June 2025
ITALY: ADM, Italy’s Customs and Monopolies Agency, claims to have uncovered and seized nearly 500 tonnes of illegal refrigerant last year.
An independent agency within the Italian Ministry of Finance, ADM is responsible for securing and managing customs revenue, monitoring imports, transit and exports. It has been responsible for a number of large seizures of HFC refrigerants.
After the imposition of the European F-gas phase down, Italy became a hotspot for the black market trade, both as a consumer and as one of the main transit countries. According to the Environmental Investigation Agency, in 2022 Italy had the highest number of companies reporting illegal activities to the EU’s F-gas Registry; 222 of the 809 companies reporting imports were based in Italy.
However, ADM has been cracking down. Recent data and operations confirm an ever-increasing attention and effectiveness in blocking illegal shipments that damage the environment and distort the market.
On March 7, 2024, at the Port of Naples, ADM seized approximately 150 tonnes of HFC gas declared as being for military use, which is exempt from the European F-gas regulation quotas. Investigations had revealed that the military destination covered only a part of the shipment.
On July 17 last year, at the Port of Genoa-Prà, an unnamed “specialised” company from the Piedmont region of northwest Italy was fined for importing an 18 tonne isotank of R32 refrigerant gas from China that exceeded the assigned F-gas quota.
The following month, at the Port of Gioia Tauro, ADM blocked a cargo of over 40 tonnes of HFCs. The shipment included 112 illegal non-refillable cylinders and 3377 refillable cylinders for which the F-gas quota had been exceeded.
From May to October last year, ADM participated in the European-wide JCO KHIONE operation led by OLAF, the European Commissions anti-fraud office. In Italy, it led to the seizure of approximately 4,100 cylinders (64,223kg) in the operational phase and the identification of irregularities for a total quantity of 163,000kg (over 10,000 cylinders) in the pre/post-operational phases, in particular in Brindisi.
Italy also participated in the JO DEMETER X operation coordinated by the World Customs Organisation between July and September 2024. This led to the detection of violations in Italy for 80,293kg of refrigerant.
Related stories:
350 tonnes of refrigerant seized in global crackdown – 1 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. Read more…
EU crackdown disrupts illegal HFC trade – 21 November 2024
BELGIUM: A six-month operation to disrupt the illegal trade in refrigerant gases has intercepted more than 400,000 tonnes of CO2 equivalent material. Read more…
Italian customs seize over 40 tonnes of illegal refrigerant – 13 August 2024
ITALY: Customs authorities have intercepted over 40 tonnes of illegal HFC refrigerant at the port of Gioia Tauro, Italy. Read more…
Customs block quota-busting F-gas shipment – 18 July 2024
ITALY: An unnamed “specialised” company from the Piedmont region of northwest Italy faces a fine of up to €150,000 for exceeding its F-gas import quota. Read more…
Naples customs seize “military” HFC shipment – 7 March 2024
ITALY: Customs officers at the port of Naples report the interception and seizure of 150 tons of HFC refrigerants. Read more…
