Vienna, Feb. 26 (SANA) The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has warned that illegal trafficking in waste is worsening toxic pollution worldwide, inflicting severe economic, environmental and health damage, particularly in low-income countries with weak regulatory frameworks.
In a report released Wednesday titled “Waste Crimes and Trafficking,” the agency said legal loopholes, limited enforcement capacity and low penalties have enabled a multi-billion-dollar illicit trade in electronic, plastic and metal waste, as well as used vehicles and engines.
The study found that organized crime groups, along with some companies, are engaged in complex transnational smuggling operations. These networks use fraudulent and corrupt practices, including document forgery, extortion and money laundering, to conceal illegal waste shipments within legitimate trade flows and evade regulatory controls.
According to the report, the wide gap between the high cost of lawful waste disposal and the substantial profits generated by illegal exports provides strong financial incentives for criminal activity. The most hazardous and difficult-to-process waste streams, such as plastics and toxic electronic materials, are frequently shipped from high-income countries to poorer states that lack adequate environmental management systems, exposing local populations to serious health risks.
Candice Welch, UNODC’s Director of Policy Analysis and Public Affairs, described waste trafficking as a complex crime that is difficult to detect and investigate, warning that it can contaminate drinking water, soil and oceans.
She called for stronger international cooperation, harmonized legislation and penalties, and improved data-sharing on suspicious routes to better anticipate and prevent illegal waste flows.
The report also highlights legal gaps that persist beyond the 1992 Basel Convention. Globally, nearly 50 million tons of electronic waste are generated each year, but only about 20 percent is recycled through formal, legal channels.
UNODC warned that organized criminal networks are capitalizing on these gaps, turning developing countries into “toxic dumping grounds” for hazardous substances such as lead and mercury, with long-term consequences including chronic disease and sustained environmental degradation.
