Italian police on Monday seized five container loads of garbage bound for China at the port of Naples, officials said as the city struggles to remove mountains of rubbish from the streets.
Customs police said the Italian company exporting the some 86 tonnes of garbage had declared that the containers were destined for recycling by a Chinese company.
However the firm was not in the recycling business, the police said in a statement, adding that they have seized the containers pending an inquiry.
The Naples region has had a waste disposal problem for years that is also linked to rampant organised crime in the area. Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi promised to clear up the mess during his 2008 election campaign.
Waste is often smuggled out on ships out of Naples for disposal in poor African countries as part of a vast criminal business.
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