Over 130 tons of hazardous waste seized at Zrenjanin firm
Police found more than 130 tons of hazardous waste stored without a permit at a company in Zrenjanin and arrested a Chinese national in a senior post.
- More than 130 tons of hazardous waste was found at a company warehouse in Zrenjanin, stored without a permit from the competent authority.
- A Chinese national, identified by initials H. J. (63), who holds a senior post at the firm, has been arrested.
- The search turned up roughly 30 tons of spent batteries, 52 tons of melted lead and 50 tons of plastic.
- The suspect was ordered held for up to 48 hours, with a criminal complaint to follow before the competent prosecutor.
Police in Zrenjanin, working alongside the Provincial Inspectorate for Environmental Protection, have arrested a Chinese national whose warehouse held more than 130 tons of hazardous waste. According to investigators, the material was stored without a permit from the competent authority.
The suspect, identified by the initials H. J. (63), holds a senior position at the company where the search was carried out. He is suspected of bringing hazardous materials into Serbia and of unlawfully processing, disposing of and storing them. On orders from the prosecutor, he was held for up to 48 hours.
What exactly was found in the warehouse?
The search of the firm’s premises was a joint operation by police and the environmental inspectorate. The waste had been spread through the storage section of the building, and its total quantity, according to officials, exceeds 130 tons.
Most of what was recovered falls into the category of hazardous waste, whose trade and storage are tightly regulated by law. Based on the figures released so far, the seizure breaks down as follows:
- about 30 tons of spent batteries
- about 52 tons of melted lead
- about 50 tons of plastic
Batteries and lead are classed as materials that, if handled improperly, can threaten soil, water and human health. Storing and processing them requires a special permit, which the suspect, according to the inspectorate, did not hold.
How is the case against the suspect proceeding?
The arrest followed a joint operation by the Zrenjanin Police Department and the Provincial Inspectorate for Environmental Protection. After the search and the gathering of evidence, the suspect was ordered held for up to 48 hours.
A criminal complaint against H. J. (63) will be filed with the competent prosecutor, who will work to establish the origin of the waste and how it reached the warehouse. Investigators will also weigh whether the suspect acted alone or was part of a wider chain.
At this stage the suspect is presumed innocent until any guilt is established by a final court ruling. The sheer volume of waste seized, however, points to an organized operation rather than a one-off violation.
The case also raises a broader question about oversight of firms handling dangerous materials. Will more frequent joint checks by police and inspectors put a stop to illegal storage of hazardous waste in Serbia?
