Illegal waste cargos from Norden seized in Latvian port

Authorities in the northwestern Latvian port of Ventspils have seized three illegal waste cargos, which had been delivered to Latvia from Sweden and Norway, the Latvian environmental protection and regional development ministry informed Thursday.

While checking international cargos delivered to the port, inspectors from the Ventspils regional environmental service and the port's customs officers found serious violations in the documents and the waste cargos that had arrived in Ventspils on Oct. 4, Nov. 1 and Nov. 16.

As a result of the inspections, the authorities stopped more than 22.8 tons of plastic waste being illegally brought into Latvia.

Representatives of the environmental protection ministry said that waste smugglers had planned to present the illegal cargos as plastic waste of domestic origin and then send them for recycling in Latvia so they could claim exemption from natural resources tax.

This year, Latvian environmental authorities have stepped up controls to prevent illegal waste imports after devastating fires at several illegal dumpsites revealed serious waste management irregularities.

"I am confident that the detention of the illegal cargos is a clear signal that Latvia is not and will never be a destination for illegal waste," said Latvian Environmental Protection and Regional Development Minister Kaspars Gerhards.