The smoke that rises to the sky day and night in places like New life V Western Attica but also in other parts of the country, and the sour smell of burnt plastic is indicative of “laundry” smuggling of scrap metal, the so-called scrap. Where stolen OSE cables, DADDI transformers, stolen catalysts from IX and all sorts of plundered state and private property is being scrapped for sale to illegal “nurseries”. The latter, through various accounting and other tricks, will then send the pure end product as raw material to suspect or unsuspecting clients in Greece and abroad. Because, according to market sources, the export of copper and aluminum scrap currently accounts for at least 50% of this illegal activity, whose annual turnover is estimated at 200 million euros. A turnover that fluctuates, of course, depending on the prices of metals on international markets and demand in Greece. However, these channels can now replace Greek demand with customers in Bulgaria, Romania and other Balkan countries. It remains unknown whether they know what they are buying. Especially in recent years, when the vast majority of domestic enterprises have established strict control protocols to be sure of the origin of the purchased raw materials, exports … are flourishing.

Documentation

The path of the metal from the fires in Western Attica to domestic consumers, borders and beyond is carefully planned: it begins with purchase documents that “shit” And “scrapers” who cannot resist the temptation of quick and big profits. They cut out invoices, documents that correspond to known expense receipts, in the name of the alleged natural persons – their suppliers.

As market circles familiar with the process explain, documents are cut out even in the names of dead people, so that no traces of the authorities can be brought to those involved. For a few euros, they buy hundreds of euros worth of copper from “collectors”. Suffice it to say that today copper costs about 8,000 euros per ton. This means that anyone who can collect 100 kg of copper cheaply can potentially sell it for 600 or 700 euros at a competitive price. Having secured a receipt for the delivery of scrap metal, that is, the metal left over from the previous burning of cables and other devices, he can now resell it with a rough foundry treatment, and more often without any treatment at all.

In the past, the main incentive for a Greek businessman to buy illegal scrap metal was VAT. Buying on this black market saved large sums. At some point, the state realized the problem and canceled the VAT on scrap, hoping to remove the main incentive. At the same time, increased scrutiny by the prosecutor’s office led to hundreds of arrests, many arrests, but few convictions. With Greek demand declining due to the adoption of strict procurement criteria by most businesses, the schemes have turned to smaller Greek clients, often in a gray area between legal and illegal operations and mostly abroad.

Export on the rise

So how does a truckload of 25 tons of pure metal get across the Greek border?

The answers are disarming: “Because they can and do achieve a relatively high degree of metal purity, they can legally or otherwise obtain ‘end-of-waste’ certificates, which are equivalent to decharacterization of the waste and thus an unofficial marketing passport and display to those on the border to leave Greece. A good wallet also helps where needed.” explain “K” sources who wish to remain anonymous. In the last decade, the average price of copper has ranged from 6,500 to 7,000 euros per ton, the same circles add.

“Keep in mind that at its peak demand for copper scrap in Greece was around 25,000 tons, and when it declines, scrap can always go abroad. Approximately 12,500 tons – illegal scrap from ESE cables, a summer cottage, a kitchen garden of a residential building, a building, and where else these poor fellows collect it from. Do the deed and you will understand what turnovers we are talking about. says “K” the head of the metal processing enterprise which has repeatedly cooperated with the Greek police and prosecutors to put an end to these activities. Of course, smuggled illegal scrap is not only copper and aluminum, but now also rare metals contained in catalysts, steel and everything that has a market value.