ADM officials in Livorno serving in the customs clearance control department seized 2.800 sports bags made of synthetic fibres with plastic inserts and accessories, of Chinese origin and provenance, which were found to be dangerous for public health.
From the initial stages of checking the imported goods, ADM officials, upon opening the container, noticed a strong chemical odor, typical of the composition of plastic materials, so much so that they had to proceed with caution and wait for adequate ventilation.
Thanks to the equipment provided by the Livorno Customs Office, it was possible to identify the PVC components located on both the handle and the shoulder strap. A sample of the goods was analyzed by the ADM Chemical Laboratory in Naples, which confirmed the presence of phthalates exceeding the limits set by the European Regulation, detecting a concentration twenty times higher than permitted for the handles (2,35%) and almost sixty times for the shoulder strap (5,81%).
Phthalates are chemicals, esters of phthalic acid, used to make plastics stronger and more pliable.
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Therefore, the European Union has long sought to regulate the use of various chemical substances with EC Regulation 1907/2006 and the subsequent EU Regulation 2005/2018, which concern the registration, evaluation, authorization, and restriction of substances falling within the "reach" parameters, that is, in this particular case, the family of phthalates (phthalate, dibutyl phthalate, benzyl butyl phthalate, and diisobutyl phthalate), which cannot be used in products if the single or combined concentration is equal to or greater than 0,1% by weight of the plasticized material.
Based on their investigations, ADM officials seized the entire consignment of bags and reported the owner of the importing company to the Livorno Public Prosecutor's Office. The owner was found liable, by law, for failing to declare the import, which was deemed equivalent to placing on the market products potentially dangerous to public health and the environment.
The outcome of the operation once again reaffirms the Customs and Monopolies Agency's ongoing commitment to combating both tax and non-tax related crimes.
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