Five detainees and two investigated in a Seville company dedicated to electronic recycling

The wastes –considered as very dangerous- were not adequately treated and posed a serious risk for the company's workers and for the environment

The investigated company monopolizes all the waste with refrigerant gases generated throughout Andalusia

The Civil Guard has arrested five executives from a company for recycling electrical and electronic waste in Aznalcóllar (Seville). Two workers from the same company are also investigated.

They are charged with crimes against the environment and natural resources, cross-border transfer of waste, against workers' rights, fraud, documentary forgery, misappropriation, unfair administration, in addition to the possible involvement of one of them in money laundering.

The Raecash operation began three years ago following information from SEPRONA related to transboundary shipments of hazardous waste that came from Gibraltar to the company under investigation.

The Civil Guard has confirmed the possible falsification of certificates in which the amounts of waste that had been treated were increased. In this way, they increased economic benefits, which according to research has been able to overcome fraud of 16 million euros in recent years.

The investigated commercial company monopolizes all the residues that have refrigerant gases that are generated throughout Andalusia. The supposedly recycled waste is devices such as refrigerators, refrigerating chambers, air conditioners and above all, those known as electric water heaters – the insulator of which has the aforementioned gas – which in the event of not recovering it, is emitted directly into the atmosphere.

The emission of these gases is especially damaging to the ozone layer, in addition to the risk that it entails both for the environment and for people's health.

In addition to refrigerant gases, SEPRONA has detected the lack of treatment of other types of waste considered very dangerous, the handling of which could have put the health of the company's workers at risk, in addition to causing damage to the environment.

According to an expert report provided by the Central Environment Unit of the Civil Guard, only the emission of gases has been able to produce irreparable damage to the atmosphere valued at approximately 8 million euros in the years investigated.

After the end of its useful life, the waste that is produced from electrical and electronic equipment – called WEEE – needs treatment for its correct disposal, paid for by the producers of household appliances (manufacturers). This management is channeled through the SCRAP (Collective Systems of Extended Producer Responsibility), non-profit organizations, which finance the waste managers who carry out the aforementioned treatment.

In the inspections carried out by SEPRONA, it has been possible to verify the lack of control and incorrect treatment of the so-called WEEE, whose current regulations, urges its reuse.

According to the proceedings delivered in the Court No. 4 of Sanlúcar la Mayor (Seville), new implicated in other provinces of Andalusia are not ruled out.

For the expansion or confirmation of any other data, you can contact the Peripheral Communication Office of the Civil Guard of Seville, on the phone 954 23 53 22.

separator



Source of new