Albanian Police Arrest 20 For Shipping Toxic Waste To Thailand

Albanian police have arrested 20 people in connection with the trafficking of toxic waste from Albania to Thailand, authorities announced on Wednesday.

The arrests followed an investigation launched more than a year ago by the Durres prosecutor’s office into over 100 containers of hazardous waste allegedly originating from a steel mill in Elbasan.

Earlier, prosecutors disclosed that 33 arrest warrants had been issued in relation to the alleged trafficking network, which is said to involve customs officials and employees of Albania’s National Environment Agency.

Those arrested face charges, including trafficking in prohibited goods, abuse of office, and money laundering. Police said 13 additional suspects remained at large, among them three Turkish nationals and one German citizen.

Raids were carried out on Tuesday after laboratory tests confirmed that the materials that were returned to Albania in 2024 were toxic, according to prosecutors.

Customs documentation had declared the shipment as iron oxide when it departed Albania for Thailand. However, the cargo was rejected after an environmental organisation alleged it contained illegal toxic waste, forcing its return.

The Basel Action Network (BAN), citing a whistleblower, said the shipment actually contained electric arc furnace dust, a hazardous byproduct of steel production.

Experts in Albania began collecting samples from the returned containers in October as part of a broader probe into suspected smuggling of prohibited goods. Prosecutors said the investigation was being conducted in cooperation with the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF).

BAN founder Jim Puckett questioned the delay in analysing the samples, warning that the material could have leaked or been tampered with during the waiting period.

Environmental campaigners said the case highlights a wider global problem, alleging that industrial waste from Western countries is frequently shipped to Asia and Africa for processing—an illicit trade they estimate could be worth as much as $82 billion annually.