Chasing the Stink: Police Uncover Cross-Border Manure Scams

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Dutch and Belgian police on Thursday raided addresses in North Brabant, Limburg, Utrecht, East Flanders and West Flanders, a major case of an international manure management scam. NRC report.

About 17 people were arrested in Belgium and their documents and property confiscated in a joint operation involving Europol and the Dutch food watchdog NVWA.

of Belgian Public Prosecutor’s Office He said 24 farms, food companies and manure processing companies near Antwerp had been raided, one of which was also active in the Netherlands. Eight of the raids took place in the Netherlands.

The farmers and companies involved are suspected of conspiring to falsify figures regarding the amount of fertilizer being transported and used on the land.

By manipulating numbers, Belgian prosecutors say phosphorus and nitrogen levels are kept within prohibited maximums, but in practice farmers use more fertilizer than is allowed. By doing so, we are increasing production.

A Dutch manure disposal company has been implicated in an organic waste scam.

Officials said differences in laws make it easier to cover up cross-border fraud.

In 2017, the NRC reported that two-thirds of manure management companies in East Brabant and North Limburg were involved in some form of fraud. Bergs Advies, the largest manure management advisory body in Limburg, is now in trial Falsified documents to help farmers fertilize ducks rule.