A major international police operation has dealt a significant blow to criminal groups profiting from environmental crime, seizing vast quantities of illegal waste and hazardous substances worth tens of millions of euros.
The Europol-led operation, called Custos Viridis, Latin for “Green Guardian”, was coordinated throughout 2025 and involved law enforcement authorities from 71 countries across five continents, according to a press release published by INTERPOL today.
The waste seized during the operation, including end-of-life vehicles, plastics, scrap metal, electronic waste, tyres and used solar panels, could generate at least €31 million in illicit profits for the networks involved, according to investigators.
Authorities also seized almost €10 million in cash and bank accounts, along with vehicles, heavy machinery, firearms, companies and properties linked to the criminal groups.
The year-long operation targeted organised crime groups exploiting the waste management sector and environmental regulations to generate substantial illicit profits.
Environmental crime in this area includes the illegal collection, transport, recycling or disposal of waste and polluting materials. These activities can severely contaminate soil, water and air while generating significant revenue for criminal networks.
Following an intelligence phase during the first half of 2025, authorities launched co-ordinated enforcement actions between July and December.
During that period, 1,048 inspections were carried out worldwide, leading to the arrest of 337 suspects and the disruption of several cross-border crime groups.
The scale of the seizures highlights the profitability of the illegal trade. Authorities confiscated 127,149 tonnes of waste as well as 602 tonnes of polluting substances, including nearly 400 tonnes of fluorinated greenhouse gases (F-gases).
These gases are tightly regulated in the European Union because of their strong contribution to climate change.
Investigators say the illegal trade in these gases alone could represent between €15 million and €20 million in criminal revenue, depending on the final destination of the goods.
Investigations revealed that several organised crime networks were trafficking waste within the EU and exporting large volumes to Africa, Asia and Latin America.
Criminal actors often exploit their detailed knowledge of environmental regulations and recycling systems, identifying loopholes in waste recovery rules and in the EU’s circular economy framework.
Concerns about the growth of this criminal activity are also increasingly raised at the EU level.
During a meeting on May 13 last year, members of the European Parliament discussed the fight against hazardous waste trafficking with representatives from public authorities and NGOs.
Participants warned that environmental crime, waste trafficking in particular, represented a serious threat to the environment, public health and European economies, while expanding in scale and becoming more sophisticated across many EU member states.
The discussion involved representatives from Europol and Eurojust, followed by a panel including officials from the Polish Government and the World Wide Fund for Nature.
Speakers stressed the need for stronger co-ordination and enforcement at EU level to tackle the growing threat posed by organised environmental crime.
Operation Custos Viridis highlights the global reach and profitability of environmental crime, an activity increasingly attractive to organised criminal groups because of its high financial returns and relatively low risk compared with other forms of trafficking.
