Spanish authorities, in collaboration with Europol, intercepted over 3,500 tons of substandard wooden packaging that did not meet mandatory legal requirements for use in international trade and shipment.
This operation led to the arrest of 104 individuals involved in 148 criminal offenses, including crimes against natural resources and the environment, crimes against industrial property, crimes of misappropriation, belonging to a criminal organization, theft, and fraud.
The modus operandi of the criminals involved in this operation was to import and sell substandard wooden packaging that did not meet the required standards. These wooden pallets were often used to transport goods, and if not detected, they could have led to the spread of pests and diseases, posing a significant threat to the environment and public health. The estimated sale value of the seized non-compliant pallets and other packaging was around EUR 2,000,000.
The Spanish Guardia Civil, who carried out the operation, detected the substandard wooden packaging that did not meet the required standards for import and export. These pallets were often used to transport goods, and once the goods were delivered, they would discard the wooden pallets. This led to the accumulation of substandard wooden packaging in various locations, which posed a significant threat to the environment.
