Features of transnational illicit waste trafficking and crime prevention strategies to tackle it

Despite the growing interest in illicit waste trafficking (IWT), studies that empirically address the issue are still few. Mostly, they fail to present in-depth analysis of the different stages of IWT and to suggest crime prevention strategies. This study conducts a crime script analysis of five cross-border judicial cases from Italy to other countries. This method makes it possible to shed light on the characteristics of the different stages of transnational IWT in terms of actors, modi operandi, and crime opportunities. From the results of the script analysis, the study proposes possible solutions for IWT through the application of the situational crime prevention framework. The results show the existence of opportunities at all stages of the waste cycle, modi operandi that are common among different cases, and several actors who intervene and create an illegal network. Situational crime prevention measures can provide useful suggestions for reducing the most frequent opportunities.