Romania’s Environmental Guard swooped on a village south of Bucharest and fined a dozen people fines 350,000 lei (about 70,000 euros) they caught illegally burning vehicle parts.
The village of Sintesti, just south of the capital has become notorious for the dumping of dismantled cars which are then burned, News.ro reported on Saturday.
The Environmental Guard, the police and riot police raided the village which has been blamed for air pollution caused by the burning of waste in a bid to “stop the burning and economic crime.”
During the raid, authorities seized 12 tons of metal and 3 tons of tires from a dismantled coach, the largest seizure of vehicle parts ever.
Environment officials said that the village had become known as a place for dismantled cars and buses. They said “the yard of every house looks like heap of scrap iron.” Residents told authorities they didn’t know where they had put the documents for the dismantled vehicles.
“We fine people, we confiscate goods which are on public property, and they they get back to the illegal activity,” a statement said.
The Environmental Guard said authorities would monitor the area to “discourage illegal burning whether this is to obtain metal from diverse materials or just a way to take revenge of law enforcement.
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