A Swedish businesswoman known as the “waste queen” has been sentenced to six years in prison. She was found guilty of serious environmental crimes. Fariba Vanker, also known as Bella Nilsson, was convicted of 19 counts of environmental offenses. Her waste disposal company, Think Pink, illegally dumped toxic waste in several locations across Sweden.
Think Pink was hired by local authorities, construction companies, and individuals to dispose of all types of waste. But instead of following the law, the company dumped or buried over 200,000 tons of waste in central Sweden between 2015 and 2020. The waste included construction materials, electronics, metal, plastic, wood, tires, and toys.
The waste was found to contain toxic substances like mercury, lead, and arsenic, which are hazardous to human health and the environment. Prosecutors alleged that Think Pink had no intention or ability to manage waste according to environmental regulations. In one incident, a large pile of waste dumped by the company caught fire and burned for over two months.
Vanker and nine other defendants, including her ex-husband Thomas Nilsson, were found guilty of environmental crimes. Five of the defendants were sentenced to prison terms ranging from two to six years and ordered to pay millions in damages to fund a massive cleanup operation. Vanker and Nilsson plan to appeal the verdict, with Vanker claiming that Think Pink followed the law and any mistakes were accidental.
Source: bbc