Firm accused of shipping waste illegally from Finland to Sweden

Finnish Customs investigated a case of environmental violation where a company is suspected of having transported waste from Finland to Sweden without the required permit, said Customs in a press release on Monday.

Customs’ criminal investigation found that a company based in Finland has transported five consignments of septic tank sludge from Finland to Sweden in spring 2022.

A total of 66 200 kilograms of waste was exported without a permit. The septic tank sludge was transported for disposal in Sweden, but the Finnish company should have applied for a waste shipment permit for the shipments.

The investigation has shown that the septic tank sludge was taken to the appropriate processing plant in Sweden, and thus the criminal act has been investigated as an environmental violation, not as degradation of the environment.

The preliminary investigation is about to be completed and the case will be forwarded to the Prosecution District of Southern Finland for consideration of charges.

“One of Customs’ tasks is to control shipments of waste between countries and we will intervene if the permits are not in order. It costs money to dispose of waste in a lawful manner, and the aim of illegal waste shipments is often to reduce costs,” said Petteri Nevalainen, head of the Economic Crime Investigation Unit.

Exports of waste for disposal always require obtaining a waste shipment permit from both the Finnish Environment Institute and the waste recipient country and any waste shipment authorities in transit countries.