Vast operation by the State Police on the national territory to combat the illicit disposal of waste, to ascertain and sanction the multiple forms of illegality in the delicate sector of environmental protection.
The complex activities, coordinated at a central level by the SCO, were conducted by investigators from the SISCO Mobile Teams in 33 Italian provinces with the specialist support of the regional agencies for environmental protection and the traffic police. In some provinces, given the operational specificity in which it operated, the peripheral structures of the National Port Authority Corps were also involved.
At the end of three days of intense operational activities, over 168 areas suspected of being used for the illicit storage and conservation of waste were subjected to control, 40 of which were subjected to seizure. More than 1763 subjects were identified, 103 people were reported in a state of freedom for crimes related to illicit waste management, two people were arrested in flagrante delicto and over 85 administrative violations were detected for an amount exceeding 200 thousand euros.
The investigation and verification activities resulting from access to the controlled sites will continue in the next few days by the individual regional environmental protection agencies, in order to assess the existence of further administrative and criminal offences.
More in detail, two sites in Sannio were seized, one in Benevento and one in the province, both used as illegal landfills and having a total area of approximately 9 thousand m2.
On this occasion, four people were referred to the competent Public Prosecutor’s Office at the Court of Benevento for the crimes of environmental pollution, unauthorized waste management, deterioration, disfigurement, soiling and illicit use of cultural or landscape assets. One was also raised against the owners of a company administrative sanction for an amount of 4,100 euros.
In particular, an inspection involved a Benevento company dedicated to the wholesale and retail trade of building materials, river aggregates, cement conglomerates, gravels, etc. where, during the inspection, the presence of an area of approximately 4 thousand m2 was found, partly covered by vegetation, used as an illegal landfill, or which has long been used for the illicit storage of special waste. At the end of the investigations the Flying Squad investigatorsassisted by personnel from the local Anti-Crime Division, seized the entire area and referred the owners of the company to the judicial authorities for unauthorized waste management.
The subsequent inspection concerned a company that trades in agricultural, artisanal and industrial machinery and carries out related assistance and repair services, based in a Samnite municipality. The inspection carried out and the checks carried out made it possible to find two agricultural areas at the disposal of the owners of the company, subject to landscape restrictions, with a total extension of approximately 4600 m2, within which dangerous and non-hazardous special waste was deposited.
During the activities, numerous vehicles of various types and out-of-use work equipment, engine oils, gears and lubrications, metal pipes of various types, tyres, engines and mechanical parts of vehicles and trucks were found. This material, which was not reclaimed, was subjected to seizure together with the entire area used as a landfill.
Also in this case the owners were reported for crimes of environmental pollution, unauthorized waste management and deterioration, disfigurement, soiling and illicit use of cultural or landscape assets; Furthermore, an administrative fine of 4,100 euros was imposed against them.
The activity is part of the constant prevention and monitoring action carried out by the State Police, in a sector which for decades has represented a source of huge, illicit profit also for criminal organisations, in order to put a stop to the expansion of environmental crimes which they damage the territory and constantly put the health of citizens at risk.
The measure was adopted on the initiative of the prosecuting Office and that due to the principle of the presumption of innocence, the guilt of the people subjected to investigation in relation to the matter will be definitively ascertained only where an irrevocable sentence of conviction or similar forms occurs.
