Operation NOXIA: Over 1221 tonnes of illicit waste, 27 469 litres and 5 tonnes of illicit pesticides as well as over 67 million cigarettes and 10 tonnes of tobacco have been seized as a result of the OLAF-led ASEM Joint Customs Operation. The operation took place in spring 2023 and targeted deep-sea containers in EU and Asian ports in a bid to prevent dangerous substances from being smuggled
Joint Customs Operations aim at placing shipments under surveillance for a limited time in order to detect sensitive, prohibited or dangerous goods – in this case pesticides and cigarettes headed from Asia to Europe as well as waste shipments from Europe to Asia.
In addition to these goods, customs authorities in close cooperation with other fellow national authorities also detained several shipments of illicit products containing over 1 600 000 batteries, 5 127 pieces of clothing, 100 game consoles and 14.5 tonnes of fertilisers – either found to be counterfeit or intended to be smuggled.
Operation NOXIA – code-named in a reference to the English word “noxious” which means harmful, poisonous due to its focus on dangerous substances – was conducted as a part of the joint efforts of OLAF and the participating countries in the fight against dangerous substances. OLAF coordinated the operation from the planning phase to the analysis of results, provided a safe communication IT environment for information sharing, analysed intelligence and brought together the responsible liaison officers. Operation NOXIA was supported by EUROPOL and the World Customs Organization (WCO).
Ville Itälä, OLAF Director-General, said: “We are immensely proud of the seamless collaboration between OLAF and our partners at ASEM during the Operation NOXIA. The ASEM brings together 53 partners from across Europe and Asia, which represent around 65 percent of global GDP and 68 percent of global trade. Together, we have exemplified the power of international cooperation, demonstrating that with united efforts, we can combat illicit activities and protect citizens and markets from dangerous substances and smuggling.”
The countries that participated in Operation Noxia were: 24 EU Member States, UK, Australia, Bangladesh, Cambodia, People’s Republic of China, India, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Mongolia, Myanmar, New Zealand, Pakistan, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Viet Nam.
