Illicit HFC trade : a criminal network dismantled in Spain

According to a press release from the Spanish authorities dated June 2022, 110 tonnes of refrigerants worth €11 million were seized as a result of joint action by the Guardia Civil, the Tax Agency, Europol and the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF). Gases subject to quotas from the EU were imported in Spain from China using false documents, meaning that many duties and taxes were not levied. The refrigerants were then sold in Spain at a vastly reduced rate, thus creating a black market. The profits from this illicit trade were then laundered and spent on luxury items such as high-end vehicles and real estate.