Three Austrians jailed over illegal waste trade in Italy

Three Austrian nationals have been sentenced to prison for operating an illegal waste‑to‑charcoal scheme that spanned Italy and several other European countries. Prosecutors say the participants extracted ash residues from biomass plants in South Tyrol, falsely labeled them as charcoal or biochar, and sold them for grill briquettes, fertilizer and other products. Chemical analysis revealed that the ash contained toxic substances, making it unsuitable for the claimed uses.

The investigation, coordinated by Europol, Eurojust and the EU anti‑fraud office OLAF, uncovered a four‑year operation that involved two Italian firms, the provincial environment agency in South Tyrol, and contacts with politicians to influence regulatory assessments. The scheme generated illegal profits of several hundred thousand euros, supplemented by revenues from CO₂‑certificate sales. Shipments of the ash were traced to Croatia, Serbia, Germany and Austria for use in agriculture, animal feed and concrete production.

Authorities seized equipment, imposed administrative control over one plant, and conducted raids across South Tyrol, Veneto, Lombardy, Austria, Italy and Croatia. The case highlights vulnerabilities in waste‑management oversight and cross‑border enforcement within the EU.