OLAF Uncovers Illegal Shipment Of Over 4,200 Tonnes Of Textile Waste To Türkiye
The European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) has uncovered an illegal trafficking operation involving more than 4,200 tonnes of textile waste shipped from Italy to Türkiye after being falsely labelled to evade strict recycling regulations.
Working with the Italian Carabinieri and Turkish customs authorities, OLAF identified shipments containing high levels of non-biodegradable acrylic fibres, which require specialised recycling and are subject to stringent environmental rules. Investigators used trade flow and customs data to detect consignments that had been deliberately mislabelled to avoid higher recycling costs.
A joint inspection by OLAF, the Italian Carabinieri, Turkish authorities and ARPAT found nearly 2,100 tonnes of textile waste stored at a non-compliant recycling facility in Türkiye. Another 768 tonnes, linked to the same scheme, were discovered at the Port of Mersin awaiting illegal disposal. All shipments were seized by Turkish authorities.
The investigation also prompted a raid on a company in Brescia, Italy, suspected of involvement in the illegal exports. Authorities seized its operating facilities, a fleet of articulated trucks and financial assets worth around €12 million.
Petr Klement, Director-General of OLAF, said the case highlights how illegal waste trafficking benefits organised criminal networks while posing serious environmental and economic risks. He also emphasised the importance of cross-border cooperation in tackling waste crime.
The investigation comes as the European Commission’s textile waste rules, introduced in October 2025, strengthen controls on textile waste exports and tighten enforcement against the mislabelling of waste as reusable textiles.
