Police arrest toxic recycled shoe gang

Fifteen people were arrested during police raids.

Italian police have identified a criminal-run plastic recycling scheme that sent toxic waste to China which was then made into shoes for sale back in Italy. The investigation began in 2014, when footwear manufactured from used plastic sheeting contaminated with pesticides and fertilisers was discovered for sale in Rome and seized by the authorities.

Police checks revealed that the plastic waste was being stored in warehouses in the Sicilian cities of Catania and Ragusa before being exported to China. Fifteen people, including two businessmen, were reportedly arrested during raids in and around Ragusa. The charges brought against them include extortion, grievous bodily harm, the possession of illegal weapons and waste trafficking.

Publishing Data

This article was originally published on page 3 of the December 2019 issue of SATRA Bulletin.

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