The Nature Protection Service of the Spanish Civil Guard (SEPRONA) has led a global police operation against the illegal trafficking of waste, resulting in hundreds of arrests and the seizure of thousands of tons of illegally managed materials. The initiative, dubbed Operation Custos Viridis and coordinated by Europol, was carried out throughout 2025 with the participation of 71 countries and various international organizations.

This police offensive is part of the European priority against environmental crime promoted by the EMPACT platform, where the Civil Guard serves as the leading agency. In Spain, SEPRONA has played the operational role, carrying out numerous operations against networks dedicated to the illegal trade of waste and the illicit market for refrigerants.

Investigations indicate that the illegal trafficking of waste has become a global phenomenon, structured through parallel networks that allow the irregular transport of urban and industrial waste between continents.

These networks frequently resort to document forgery and administrative fraud to transport potentially hazardous materials, generating significant environmental impacts and risks to public health. Among the trends detected are the increase in the illegal trade of refrigerants from Asia and the irregular export from the European Union of end-of-life vehicles (ELVs), textiles, and waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) to countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America.

337 Arrested

The international operation has revealed the economic and logistical scale of this criminal market. In total, participating authorities carried out 1,048 inspections worldwide, resulting in 337 arrests.

Additionally, 127,149 tons of waste were seized, with an estimated market value of nearly €31 million. The seized materials included 602 tons of pollutants, such as mercury, pesticides, and greenhouse gases.

The operations also resulted in the seizure of nearly €10 million in cash and bank accounts, as well as 130 vehicles and various assets linked to the investigated networks.

Spain, a key point in waste flows

Within this international scenario, Spain plays a strategic role as a country of origin, transit, and destination for different waste flows. In this context, SEPRONA (the Spanish Civil Guard's Nature Protection Service) has carried out 23 specific operations against the illicit trafficking of waste and the illegal market for refrigerants.

The investigations have led to the arrest or investigation of 41 people and the detection of the irregular management of more than 77 tons of waste. In addition, 250 illegally imported vehicles were located, and more than 3,000 vehicle decontamination certificates were found to be falsified.

The agents also seized 5,400 kilograms of greenhouse gas refrigerants being sold outside the legal framework.

Authorities have identified several key logistical hubs for these movements, including the ports of Algeciras, Barcelona, Valencia, and Santander, as well as the border crossings of Irún and La Junquera.

International Cooperation

Combating these types of crimes requires strengthened international cooperation and traceability systems throughout the waste management chain, according to the authorities involved.

In this context, the Civil Guard is organizing an international conference in Madrid this week on the illicit trafficking of waste and environmental crimes, with the participation of experts from Europol, Interpol, and the United Nations.

During the conference, new tools for combating these crimes and emerging phenomena are being analyzed, such as the so-called "smoke bomb," which involves abandoning textile waste in rented warehouses, and the repeated fires at treatment plants as a form of negligent waste management.