Environmental Watchdogs Applaud Action by Albania Prosecutors in Global Hazardous Waste Dumping Scandal | | Call for Greater Public Transparency / National Waste Trade Prohibitions | | Tirana, Bangkok, Seattle, February 10, 2026 - The Basel Action Network (BAN), together with EARTH Thailand and Milieukontakt Albania, welcomed decisive action by the Prosecutor’s Office in Durrës confirming that 102 containers of steel industry waste exported from Albania were hazardous. Authorities have issued 33 indictments and carried out 20 arrests in connection with the illegal shipment to Thailand. | | |
These enforcement actions represent a significant step toward accountability for what appears to have been a complex, long-running conspiracy involving hazardous waste trafficking, abuse of office, and customs fraud. Among those arrested are senior executives of the Turkish-owned steel company Kurum, the head of Albania’s National Environmental Agency, and several Albanian customs officials.
"We commend the Durrës Prosecutor’s Office for pursuing this case aggressively and for demonstrating that no individual or institution is above the law," said Valbona Mazreku, Executive Director of Milieukontakt Albania. "It is vital that the public is told the full story of how this crime was carried out, including who in the government enabled it, and that Albania takes legislative action to ensure hazardous waste exports and imports from and into Albania are prohibited."
The groups also commended the anonymous whistleblower who first raised concerns as well as the responsible actions of the shipping lines MSC and Maersk. Cooperation from officials in Singapore and Thailand was critical in stopping the hazardous waste containers in transit and ensuring their return to Albania, rather than being dumped in developing countries. Their actions helped uphold the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and Their Disposal.
“Our investigation of the receiving facility revealed dangerous levels of heavy metal contamination in soils around the receiving facility. Allowing this toxic waste to enter Thailand would have put nearby communities and workers at serious risk. Thailand was right to refuse these shipments, and this case underscores why developing countries must not be used as dumping grounds for hazardous industrial waste," said Penchom Saetang, Executive Director of EARTH Thailand.
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Call for Transparency and Reform
While the recent developments mark an important breakthrough, the likely scale and duration of this illegal activity raise serious concerns that require full public transparency and systemic reform. The groups call for answers and further action on the part of Albanian authorities to ensure that such incidents never happen again.
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1. Testing and forensic analysis
- What tests were performed on the waste, on which chemicals and elements?
- Were the results sufficient to establish a chemical fingerprint, and did this fingerprint match wastes generated at the Kurum steel facility?
2. Additional Shipments
- How many times did illegal waste exports occur of this kind?
- Over what period of time did they take place?
- What is the estimated total quantity of waste exported illegally from Albania?
- What actions will now be taken to identify and secure the return of similar wastes we know were previously shipped to China?
- What steps are being taken to ensure that prosecutions related to the Chinese shipments are completed?
- Were other countries or destinations involved in receiving Albanian hazardous or Annex II wastes over the years?
3. Other waste generators
- Were other waste sources or facilities, beyond Kurum steel mills, involved in supplying material for export?
4. Use of the Port of Durrës
- Was the Port of Durrës used as a transit or export hub for hazardous wastes originating from other sources or countries?
5. The full criminal narrative
- What is the full narrative of the prosecution’s case?
- What actions are alleged to have been taken by each of the 33 individuals reportedly involved in the conspiracy?
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Legislative and Policy Reform
The NGOs also urge the Albanian and Thai governments to pursue broader legislative reforms including:
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6. Explicit legal prohibitions to ensure that Albania does not export hazardous or Basel Annex II wastes to developing (non-Annex VII) countries;
7. Parallel prohibition to ensure that Albania nor Thailand imports hazardous or Annex II wastes from any country;
8. In Albania, a full prohibition on exports of e-Waste, plastic wastes, and other Basel controlled wastes is needed.
9. And in both Thailand and Albania, stronger port inspections, documentation requirements, and enforcement mechanisms to prevent illegal waste trafficking.
10. Finally, the courts should assign jail time and other significant penalties for those that willfully perpetrated or facilitated this crime in both countries
| Jim Puckett of BAN in Durres Harbor, speaking to Albanian journalists upon arrival of the Moliva carrying 102 containers of Albanian waste after traveling to Singapore and back. Copyright BAN, October 28, 2024. | "The indictments announced by the Durrës Prosecutor’s Office demonstrate that illegal hazardous waste trafficking can be confronted effectively," said Jim Puckett, founder of the Basel Action Network. "We urge authorities to treat this case as a turning point — not only to prosecute past wrongdoing, but to establish Albania and Thailand as countries that will no longer tolerate becoming a source or transit point for illegal hazardous waste trade." | |
For more information:
Jim Puckett, Founder, Basel Action Network
email: jpuckett@ban.org
Valbona Mazreku, Executive Director, Milieukontakt Albania
email: valbona.mazreku@milieukontakt.org
Penchom Saetang, Executive Director, EARTH Thailand
email: penchom.earth@gmail.com
| Official prosecutor statement: | |
About Basel Action Network
Founded in 1997, the Basel Action Network is a 501(c)3 charitable organization of the United States, based in Seattle, WA. BAN is the world's only organization focused on confronting the global environmental justice and economic inefficiency of toxic trade and its devastating impacts. Today, BAN serves as the information clearinghouse on the subject of waste trade for journalists, academics, and the general public. Through its investigations, BAN uncovered the tragedy of hazardous electronic and toxic waste dumping in developing countries. For more information, see https://www.ban.org/
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About MilieuKontakt Albania
With more than 19 years of experience working with civil society on environment, nature and sustainable development Milieukontakt Albania's goal remains “to develop a strong and democratically organized environmental NGO movement in Albania. This means a movement that has a high visibility in society, is able to raise public awareness and is capable of playing an important role in policy- and decision-making processes, on a local, national and international level.” In all programs Milieukontakt Albania has conducted, three objectives are pursued: building capacities, involving citizens and solving environmental problems. We stimulate and support the involvement and empowerment of citizens and developed processes of participative strategy development and decision making. For more information, see www.milieukontakt.org.
About EARTH Thailand
Ecological Alert and Recovery - Thailand (EARTH) is an independent non-governmental organization striving for social and environmental sustainability and justice in Thai society. EARTH serves as a watchdog monitoring the Thai government’s industrialization policy, industrial pollution and unsustainable consumption patterns. We promote climate justice, good governance and accountability of governmental and international agencies. EARTH focuses on the impacts of hazardous substances on ecosystems, local communities and workers’ health. For more information see www.earththailand.org/en/
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