13 people arrested in Croatia for illegally disposing of hazardous waste, Europol says

ZAGREB, Croatia — Thirteen people suspected of illegally importing and disposing of hazardous waste have been arrested in Croatia, the European Union's law enforcement agency said Friday.

The main suspects, two Croatian nationals, are considered high-value targets by Europol, said an agency statement. They are believed to have orchestrated the illegal hazardous waste imports from Italy, Slovenia and Germany to Croatia.

Rather than being properly treated, the waste was simply dumped and buried, Europol said. The statement added that at least 35,000 tons (38,580 U.S. tons) of waste were illegally disposed of resulting in a profit of at least 4 million euros ($4.2 million).

The waste was declared as recyclable plastic waste but was ''legally considered dangerous waste,'' Europol said. Croatian authorities believe the criminal network also illegally buried and dumped medical waste from Croatian companies, it said.

Croatian anti-corruption authorities said in a statement of their own Friday that they have launched an investigation into 10 people and four legal entities suspected of criminal conspiracy, crimes against the environment, tax evasion and money laundering. They said they will seek to keep seven people detained, the state-run HRT television said.

The Croatian office tasked with fighting organized crime and corruption said illegal waste disposal has inflicted damage on the environment, including changes in the land configuration that affected plant and tree growth, release of toxic particles in the soil and air and potential negative effect on people's health.

Croatia has suffered ''considerable ecological damage'' and still unspecified material damage, the Office for the Suppression of Corruption and Organized Crime said in a statement.

Europol said the suspects abused the infrastructures of legal businesses. They would first offer lower prices for disposal and then falsify documentation to transport their cargo to Croatia, allegedly for recycling.

Waste trafficking enables criminal networks to obtain huge profits while often causing irreparable damage to the environment, the agency said.