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Illegal HFC trade: 168 tonnes of seized ODS and HFCs

Led by the World Customs Organization (WCO) in collaboration with 120 Customs administrations, operation DEMETER XI resulted in 168 tonnes of seized ODS and HFCs.

Led by the World Customs Organization (WCO) since 2009, the DEMETER Operations are aimed at intercepting illegal shipments of hazardous waste, especially plastic waste, as well as ozone depleting substances (ODS) and hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) that contribute to global warming and environmental degradation.

 

In 2025, the eleventh iteration of WCO Operation DEMETER saw the participation of a record 120 Customs administrations and led to 409 seizures [1]. In 2024, DEMETER X had involved 110 Customs administrations and led to 450 seizures [2].

 

During the 2025 operation, 168 tonnes of ODS, HFCs and equipment containing or relying on controlled substances under the Montreal Protocol were seized.

 

In addition to the ODS/HFCs, the seizure included 13 tonnes (representing 5,707 pieces) of equipment containing or relying on controlled substances, 15,509 tonnes of waste, 8 tonnes of other hazardous chemicals.

 

Figure. Belgian Customs, in cooperation with environmental inspection authorities, returned shipments with various refrigerators, freezers and TVs that should be considered as e-waste. Some equipment may also contain or rely on substances controlled under the Montreal Protocol. Photo courtesy of Belgian Customs

 

The success of Operation DEMETER XI required close inter-agency cooperation at both national and international levels and involved joint capacity-building activities.

 

Executed over five weeks the operation was sponsored by the Customs Cooperation Fund – China and supported by the WCO’s global Regional Intelligence Liaison Office (RILO) network and eight international partner organisations: the Secretariat of the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions (BRS Secretariat); the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Ozon Action; the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF); the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Passenger and Cargo Control Programme; the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL); the European Union Network for Implementation and Enforcement of Environmental Law (IMPEL); the Green Customs Initiative (GCI); the European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation (Europol).

 

Sources

[1] World Customs Organization. https://www.wcoomd.org/en/media/newsroom/2026/january/rise-of-illicit-trade-in-plastic-and-e-waste-reported-as-wcos-operation-demeter-xi.aspx

[2] World Customs Organization. Operation DEMETER X. https://www.wcoomd.org/en/media/newsroom/2024/november/operation-demeter-x.aspx

Image credits: World Customs Organization