Europe’s toxic waste trade moved hazardous industrial by-products through Italy by truck and ship, where organized crime helped bury, burn, or dump them at sea. From Calabria to Campania, the film traces how illegal disposal became a cheaper alternative to regulated treatment, linking industry, mafia networks, ports, landfills, and the Mediterranean.
Investigative journalists, activists, and former insiders examine cases including the Jolly Rosso, the Rigel, and the “Land of Fires” near Naples. Their accounts reveal how waste trafficking evolved from suspected toxic ships in the 1980s and 1990s to underground dumping and open burning, leaving unresolved questions about contamination, accountability, and the true scale of Europe’s illegal waste economy.
Documentary: Lethal Cargo - Episode 2: Toxic Waste
Director: Paul Russell & Andrea Vogt
Production: Millstream Films & Autentic (2016)
#toxicwaste #wastetrafficking #organizedcrime #mafia #italy #mediterranean #environmentalcrime #landoffires #industrialwaste #pollution