A large load of 24 tonnes of used tires intended for the Senegalese market was seized last Tuesday by the carabinieri of the Grosseto ecological unit and the customs of Livorno. The operation took place in the port of this Tuscan city.
According to our colleagues from L’Obs who provided the information, these are 2,142 used tires which were piled up in an anarchic manner, compressed to the point of compromising their structure and safety. “These tires were unusable and represented a threat to road safety,” confides a manager of the operation cited by the source.
Described as special waste, these tires did not comply with the storage and export standards imposed by Italian legislation. Their shipment to Senegal could have had serious consequences, particularly in terms of road safety and environmental management.
The seizure was made possible thanks to a reliable report concerning this cargo. Investigators discovered that the exporter, an Italian entrepreneur specializing in plastics recycling, is involved in several serious violations.
He is accused of illegal waste management and trafficking, violation of articles 256 and 259 of Italian environmental law, as well as falsification of public documents. Italian authorities plan to prosecute this entrepreneur for his illegal activities, which also raise concerns about the final destination of these used tires.
