A ship carrying hundreds of tonnes of allegedly toxic industrial waste returned Durres port in Albania on Monday, months after setting sail for Thailand, where the shipment was to be disposed of.
Some 102 containers were seized upon arrival, under the instruction of the Durres prosecutors office.
The Moliva left Albania in early July, and according to documents from Albanian customs authorities at that time, its cargo consisted of industrial waste, specifically “iron oxide,” whose export is authorised. According to the paperwork, the waste comes from the Elbasan steel plant in central Albania.
However, information passed on to Basel Action Network by a whistleblower suggests the cargo contains electric arc furnace dust. This is considered toxic waste and must be stored and transported strictly.
As speculation over the shipment’s contents grew, Thailand rejected the vessel, which returned to Albania after several months at sea.
The Durres prosecutor’s office has launched an investigation into the smuggling of prohibited goods and said it will test the containers’ contents to determine if they are, in fact, toxic waste.
The Basel Action Network last week urged the Albanian government to conduct an independent investigation and called for quick and transparent testing of the materials.
According to environmental NGOs, shipping industrial waste from Western countries to be processed elsewhere in developing countries is a global business estimated to be worth between 44 billion and 70 billion euros annually.
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