Italy-Turkey textile waste smuggling bust sees 4,200 tons seized

Coordinated investigations by the European Anti‑Fraud Office (OLAF), Italian Carabinieri and Turkish customs uncovered a large‑scale scheme that exported thousands of tonnes of textile waste from Italy to Turkey without proper recycling treatment. Authorities seized about 4,200 tonnes of mislabeled acrylic‑fiber waste at the Turkish port of Mersin, as well as another 2,100 tonnes stored in a depot in Denizli and 768 tonnes intercepted later in Mersin.

The operation also led to raids in northern Italy, where police confiscated a fleet of trucks and assets worth roughly €12 million from a company based in Brescia. OLAF director Petr Klement said the scheme "allows organized networks to earn high illegal profits by avoiding recycling costs and environmental regulations." The bust highlights the need for stronger cross‑border enforcement of EU waste‑export rules.