Man arrested for Greek HFC seizure
24th July 2026
GREECE: A 43-year-old man has been arrested for illegally importing 286kg of HFC refrigerants from Albania to Greece and their onward trafficking.
The man, said to be a foreigner and member of a criminal organisation was arrested following a coordinated police operation by officers from the Kastoria Crime Investigation and Prosecution Sub-Directorate.
Efforts are being made to identify and find three more members of the group.
The 25 cylinders of R404A and R134a, along with the vehicle in which they were found, were seized. The commercial value of the seized bottles has been put at around €12,000.
The shipment lacked the appropriate certifications in accordance with the F-gas regulations and sought to avoid payment of customs and tax charges.
After illegally importing the cylinders, the members of the organisation further trafficked them into Greece for sale. A criminal case was filed against them for smuggling in violation of the Greek customs and environmental regulations.
