Illegal trade in refrigerants: Hessischer Rundfunk and Deutsche Welle report
In Hessen, a specialized team comprising police, prosecutors, and the regional council is investigating the illegal trade in refrigerants. The authorities are monitoring online listings, conducting roadside and highway checks, and have already initiated home searches and criminal proceedings. The report makes it clear that the black market is highly lucrative: profit margins of over 1,000 percent are cited, comparable to the cocaine trade. Consequently, the authorities assume that organized crime is also involved.
Engelbert Rieder of the company Schiessl emphasizes that the illegal trade primarily affects companies that follow the rules. Legal dealers are put at a disadvantage by cheaper black market goods. Rieder also criticizes what he sees as insufficient action being taken at the European level against the illegal F-gas trade.
The report makes it clear: The black market harms not only the climate but also fair competition. At the same time, there are more climate-friendly alternatives that are increasingly intended to replace old F-gases.
A new documentary by the independent German international broadcaster Deutsche Welle (DW) examines the ongoing illegal trade in refrigerants in Europe.
The approximately 20-minute segment is set to air on the business magazine MADE – Made in Germany and is available on YouTube. The investigation reveals that banned or illegally distributed refrigerants remain easy to find online. They are often offered there at low prices and sold even to people who do not have the required certification. According to the video description, F-gases worth billions of euros are illegally brought into Europe and sold there largely unchecked.
During filming, reporters were able to purchase a bottle of R449A from a seller operating out of a storage room in an industrial area on the outskirts of Berlin. According to the report, the seller also had large stocks of the refrigerants R404A, R410A, and R134a. These products are said to have been imported from Turkey. The investigation reveals that the illegal trade consists not only of individual small sales but also involves larger quantities and organized structures.
In summary, the key message is: While Europe’s stricter rules on climate-damaging refrigerants serve an important environmental purpose, they also create a profitable black market. This market is exploited by criminal networks, while controls, online platforms, and supply chains appear insufficient to effectively stop the illegal trade.
The report is currently available in English on the DW YouTube channel Planet A.
