Drone Operation in Sintești: 136 Tonnes of Waste Seized and 700,000 Lei in Fines
The Environmental Guard, Police and Gendarmerie descended on Sintești and five REMAT centres in Ilfov following a month of drone surveillance. Result: 136 tonnes seized, 700,000 lei in fines and two criminal complaints.
Large-scale descent in Sintești after 65 hours of drone flight
The National Environmental Guard seized 136 tonnes of waste and issued fines of nearly 700,000 lei following the largest operation of this year conducted in the Sintești area and at five REMAT centres in Ilfov County, according to Digi24. The action involved 65 commissioners of the Environmental Guard, 50 police officers and 50 Ilfov gendarmes.
The authorities questioned 494 people and checked 334 vehicles. Two criminal complaints were filed and 31 vehicles loaded with non-ferrous materials were impounded.
One month of monitoring with drones, 65 hours of flight
The area had been monitored since the early months of the year, and in the recent period commissioners of the Environmental Guard accumulated 65 hours of drone flight. During this interval, the waste transport routes, illegal dumping zones, burning activities and the circuits through which the resulting materials were subsequently recovered were documented.
"With the help of coordinates established from the drone and information provided through collaboration agreements concluded with ANCPI, the Romanian Police and DRPCIV, the owners of the land and vehicles involved in illegal activities were identified," the National Environmental Guard stated.
What was found on the ground
Commissioners seized 24 tonnes of aluminium, 10 tonnes of copper, one tonne of metal materials and six tonnes of car batteries and accumulators. In addition, 31 vehicles that were transporting 51 tonnes of copper, 40 tonnes of aluminium and 10 tonnes of brass were impounded.
General Commissioner of the National Environmental Guard, Andrei Corlan, stated that among the results of the day was the seizure of approximately 11 tonnes of copper valued at 320,000 lei. "Today's action is integrated collaboration by the Romanian state. Without the Police and without the Gendarmerie, it would not have been possible," Corlan said, according to Agerpres.
Sanctions before and after descents
Before Monday's action, the authorities had already applied 10 contravention sanctions totalling 60,000 lei to owners of land where illegal dumping had been discovered. Vidra Municipality was separately fined 45,000 lei for failing to take cleanliness measures on 19 pieces of land, and the authorities filed a criminal referral for illegal waste dumping.
On the day of the descent, 10 other fines totalling 555,000 lei were issued and a new criminal referral was filed, this time for illegal waste burning. In total, two offences provided for by OUG 92/2021 concerning waste management were established and 57 contravention sanctions were applied.
Suspicions of false documents, new referrals announced
Officials of the Environmental Guard claim there are "well-founded suspicions" concerning the use of false documents for the transport of materials and announce that they will file new criminal referrals.
"Sintești remains one of the most problematic areas in the vicinity of the Capital regarding fires caused for metal recovery and illegal waste management," representatives of the institution stated.
Corlan stressed that the operation was not limited to Sintești: "We extended it to collection centres, to economic operators who work with them." He noted that drone monitoring procedures represent a new method of the National Environmental Guard, introduced through legislation developed and promoted in the previous year.
Source: Digi24