An alleged theft or disappearance of products seized from street merchants at the ecopark on the seafront promenade is being investigated by the Torrevieja Local Police.
The waste collection contractor manages the ecopark, a municipally owned facility where residents and businesses deposit refuse that is not covered by conventional container islands. It is also employed to store refuse that has been confiscated by the Local Police.
Law enforcement maintains that this material, which encomprises sportswear, purses, T-shirts, jewellery, eyewear, or footwear that imitates major brands, must always be disposed of if it is counterfeit. Consequently, it is necessary to ensure that it is under the custody of the Local Police or Guardia Civil from the instant it is seized until it is destroyed and disposed of.
In the month of March
The reported incidents, which took place on March 3rd, have only recently been disclosed. It is claimed that two witnesses were present at the ecopark at the time of the incident and reported it to the local police.
They both testified that they observed a van with municipal identification arrive at the facility without police custody. The municipal personnel who arrived in the vehicle unloaded and opened numerous boxes. The witnesses assert that it was at that instant that they observed what they believed to be products from the unauthorised sale that Senegalese immigrants frequently conduct on Juan Aparicio Avenue.
As per the complaint, these witnesses, who are acquainted with the ecopark’s operations, perceived it as peculiar that these materials were not under the supervision of the local police or the Guardia Civil as is customary for this type of object, which is ultimately incinerated.
Additionally, they were undamaged, as was evident. They had not been previously rendered unusable by paint or cut into fragments, a common practice to prevent them from falling into the hands of third parties. The Local Police headquarters and, to a lesser extent, the Ecopark are responsible for the disposal of this form of merchandise.
The boxes, which were allegedly labelled “protective vests” on the outside, were placed in a chamber in the eco-park that was designated as a storage area for supplies, according to witnesses.
The complaint alleges that they observed an individual, who was purportedly designated as a contractor, departing the warehouse shortly thereafter with several bags of products that the Local Police collect from immigrants in public spaces along the beachfront. Subsequently, he alleged to have loaded the suitcases into a company vehicle owned by the collection company and departed the ecopark.
They are aware of the grievances
Federico Alarcón, the Councillor for Security, said that he is cognisant of the complaint and is aware that statements have been obtained for the open proceedings. However, he is unable to provide information regarding whether the statements have been referred to the court or the results of the investigations.
MarÃa José Ruiz, the councillor for Urban Sanitation, also verified that she is aware of this complaint. However, she clarified that she does not have access to the specifics of the events, as they are not within her jurisdiction.
The incident was reported by the witnesses to the local authorities, who are responsible for the primary protection of these seized products, rather than to the Guardia Civil.
Since its inception in 1999, the Torrevieja ecopark has been plagued by numerous incidents. It was the first ecopark to operate in the entire region, and it is situated adjacent to the CV-905, the primary access route to the city, where a concentration of large retail stores is situated. The sale of products intended for scrapping and recycling, particularly domestic appliances, to African countries was publicly denounced during the management of a previous company, not the current Acciona.
The appliance collection centre also conducted retail sales at highly competitive prices, ensuring that residents were confident that their appliances were being recycled. It even received copper material that had been taken. In order to prevent the mattresses from being re-deposited on the street and to prevent double billing based on weight, the municipality mandated that the previous company designate the mattresses it received from street collection.
Under the current administration of Acciona, the PSOE documented that medical waste from a private hospital was disposed of in a conventional container at the ecopark, rather than a landfill authorised for that type of refuse. As a result, the company was fined by the City Council.
Additionally, the Guardia Civil’s Nature Protection Service reported the company for utilising the site for the temporary storage of tonnes of algae mixed with sand and water, as well as plant refuse from pruning. This activity is not authorised or permitted by the ecopark.
The agreement to convey the Ecopark to the Regional Consortium is signed by the City Council.
MarÃa José Ruiz, the Councillor for Urban Sanitation said that the Torrevieja City Council and the Vega Baja Sostenible Regional Waste Management Consortium have already executed the agreement for the transfer of this facility to the public consortium. The public consortium is comprised of representatives from the Provincial Council, the Generalitat (Catalan Government), and the 27 municipalities in the region. Prezero-CÃvica, the regional concessionaire, will be responsible for the facility.
The Torrevieja ecopark is one of the few municipally owned facilities that functions in this capacity, as it has an adequate amount of land and resources. A report will be prepared to renovate the facility, with the Consortium funding the works, while the Heritage Department finalises the requisite documentation for the transfer. In accordance with the new collection contract, Acciona assumed management of the park in early 2024, with the agreement that it would cease management upon the regional Consortium’s takeover.
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