0`10: Even on the rainiest of days, the small, sleepy ports that lie on the Calabrian coast retain their charm. But a few weeks ago, the coast guard and a few researchers had a terrible shock, which came from the bottom of the sea. 0’25
0`30: 500 metres below the surface they discovered a shipwreck, rusting, covered in algae and lying on its side. The vessel, a former cargo ship, is 110 metres long. A submersible robot, equipped with cameras, was sent down to explore the wreck. The cameras showed cargo barrels, whose appearance suggested that they functioned as special containers for the transport of radioactive substances. 0’52
0`55 OT- Franco Ropa Valente, Legambiente
1’00: “A former Mafia boss, who is now co-operating with the authorities, made a statement that back in 1992 he sank a ship called Cunsky, 20 kilometres off the coast of Cetraro. This ship contained 120 barrels of toxic waste.” 1’16
1’17 OT - Francesco Fonti, Mafia-Kronzeuge
1’19: “I personally managed the operation, and placed the explosives used to sink the ship.” 1’23
1’24 Question: “And what was the ship’s load?” 1’25
1’27 OT-Fonti
1’29: “It was loaded with barrels of radioactive sludge and other toxic wastes. One can assume that on the bottom of the sea off the coast of Calabria, there lie 30 other sunken ships. And this sort of disposal continues to this day, as the demand is very high.” 1’44
1`45: Over the past 20 years there have been a remarkable number of mysterious shipwrecks reported. Many different kinds of freighter have sunk again and again, with no trace of their crews remaining. It has been suspected that they sank the ships themselves.2’00
2`03: In 1990, the case of the Jolly Rosso was particularly suspicious. The ship was chartered by the Italian government to bring toxic waste back from Lebanon – waste that had originally been transported there illegally by Italian companies. The Jolly Rosso initially disappeared without a trace, only to reappear again later on, capsized, and washed by the tide back to the coast. [PAUSE] The authorities assumed it was a failed sinking. Official records state that the Rosso’s cargo hold was found empty. However, eyewitnesses report that there was a great deal of toxic waste around the wreck on the first night of its discovery. [BEAT] At Amantea, near the coast, environmental activists lead us to an old illegal rubbish dump. Here, they say, the toxic waste of the Rosso may have been buried. 2’43
2`44 OT- Gianfranco Posa
2’46: “Mercury, Tallium, and other heavy metals were found here…” 2’50
2’53: A proper sarcophagus made of cement and containing toxic waste was buried here. 2’59
3`01 OT- Gianfranco Posa, World Wildlife Fund
3’03: “The authorities launched an investigation into whether the unusually high numbers of tumours and other diseases in this area are related to the suspected illegal dumping here. In addition to the finding of this sarcophagus, measurements taken showed that the temperature in this area is up to 8 degrees above average. They also revealed clear traces of Cesium 137 at the back of the quarry.” 3’25
3`33: Cesium 137 and other toxic radiation were also found in the River Olivia, which flows into the sea here. 3’41
3`46: Silvio Greco is a marine biologist and on the National Council for the Environment for the region of Calabria. He has ordered a further enquiry into the possible health risks, and calls for the immediate salvage of the toxic ship, Cunsky. 3’48
4`02 OT-Silvio Greco: “Fortunately, we on the land are shielded from the ship’s hazardous cargo by a kind of natural sarcophagus of water: 500 metres of depth and 20 kilometres away from the shore. Also, we have been reassured by the fact that the footage filmed by the robot showed no radioactive traces on the wreck.. 4’16
[LONG PAUSE]
4’27: But the barrels will not be preserved in their current state forever. The vessel must therefore be salvaged urgently, regardless of the precise nature of the charge.” 4’35
4`38: Criminal toxic waste disposal by Italian traders was also uncovered in Africa. In countries including Nigeria, Lebanon and Sierra Leone, thousands of tons of toxic waste was discovered. [PAUSE] The Calabrian Mafia, the N’Drangheta, apparently has strong ties in Somalia. These pictures are from a TV reporter from the Italian RAI. It was an Italian ship with traces of toxic waste and weapons on board. [PAUSE] In 2005, Ilaria Alpi and her cameraman were found shot dead in their car. [PAUSE] Investigators on the case suggest that probably they had ‘seen too much’. 5’16
5`21: A year later there is another mysterious death: a naval officer in the Coast Guard, Natale de Grazia – who was carrying out investigations of dozens of dubiously sunken vessels – died of a heart attack, despite being healthy and athletic. As part of his investigations, he was tracking a businessman from Pavia called Giorgio Comerio. During a house search, the officer found numerous navigation documents. These recorded amongst other things the locations in which ships had sunk – each marked with the handwritten note “ship lost”. He also found in Comerio’s records a copy of the death certificate of the reporter shot dead, Ilaria Alpi. Giorgio Comerio himself has disappeared. 5’55
5’58: Comerio had been contacted about a highly risky project: rockets were to be filled with radioactive waste and fired with great force into the bottom of the sea. This would ensure that the rockets were deeply embedded. [PAUSE] Originally developed by EURATOM technicians, the patent was offered to Comerio, but so far it has no takers. 6’16
6`17: Austria had also been offered the rockets, says Nuccio Barillà from the environmental association Legambiente. With his company Ocean Disposal Management -ODM – Comerio had also laid the groundwork for a toxic waste disposal business link with Austria. 6’29
6`30 OT- Nuccio Barillà, Legambiente [spoken slowly]
6’33: “It has become clear that Austria is one of the countries involved in the illegal trafficking of radioactive waste. [PAUSE] Evidence can be found in the accounts which were seized from ODM, and also in the reports from the inquiry that was commissioned by the Italian parliament…6’48
[LONG PAUSE]
6’52 …which states that ODM had branches in several countries, including Austria… 6’58
[LONG PAUSE]
7’05 (on close-up image of crest on man’s shirt):…there is even evidence that one of the facilitators of these transactions is a high-ranking Austrian politician, who is said to have arranged relevant meetings.” 7’13
7`23: The public prosecutor’s office in the small Calabrian town of Paola has carried out intensive investigations over many years of toxic waste disposal ships in the Mediterranean. Antonella Lauri has been employed for 6 years in the judge pool. When we asked her whether they have come across any connections with Austria in their investigation, she says evasively: 7’43
7`50 OT - Antonella Lauri
8`01: “Look, at this precise moment in time we can only make public statements about our findings regarding the events leading up to the discovery of the sunken ship off the coast of Cetraro. [PAUSE] With regards to the origin of the alleged toxic waste, we can only comment when these barrels, which are in all probability still there, have been recovered. [LONG PAUSE] Only when the nature of these materials has been identified, can anything be said about their origins.” 8’28
8`35: At present, the measures being taken to salvage the found shipwreck are being noted, and many other sunken freighters are soon to be examined. Only then will it be possible to determine with any clarity whether there actually exists a link between Austria and the toxic waste business. A former contact of Girogio Comerious denies any Austrian involvement with the business. 8’54
8`56 OT - Manfred Convalexius (telephone call) NO GERMAN TRANSCRIPT
10`04: “Fortified towers from varying eras are reminiscent of the foreign enemies and threats of the past. [PAUSE] Today, the Calabrians feel themselves to be under threat from unseen enemies…[PAUSE] One avoids local fruit and vegetables in case they are poisonous, fisherman are unemployed because of the suspected contamination – the fear is spreading.” 10’22
10`25 OT - Woman 1
10’26: “It’s true, I buy frozen fish because I’m afraid [LONG PAUSE] usually I always bought the anchovies because I like them so much. Hopefully all this will pass.” 10’36
10`37 OT – Woman 2
10’40: “Yes, I am afraid of buying fish. Now I buy the frozen fish, but who knows where it comes from…” 10’45
10`49 OT – Fruit seller
10’50: “There is nothing in the sea. There have been no poisoned fish, nor any deformed fish. I fish here all the time, and I have not noticed anything.” 10’58
11’11: In the villages along the coast, even here, in the affected Serra d’Aiello, life carries on as usual. And when the fishmonger arrives in the marketplace with his fresh catch of the day, he urges you to buy from him. Today all he has is sardines. 11’25
11’32: But nevertheless, a poster in the bar advertises an open meeting. 11’37
11`41: The room is too small for the large crowd in attendance…11’44
11’48…the citizens’ calls are for help from the government in Rome. All the ships should be found and salvaged, and all those responsible should be punished, they demand. 11’57
11`58 OT- Nuccio Barillà, Legambiente
12’01: “The toxic waste business has established an international holding company. [PAUSE] Many nation states are involved in this holding company – intelligence agencies, and unscrupulous traders from around the world…12’15
[LONG PAUSE]
12’20:…Organised crime – the N’Drangheta – has begun to monopolise the provision of service in this business. It does the dirty work for much higher powers. 12’29
12`38: And then the appeal to his fellow citizens – ‘you musn’t turn a blind eye any longer, please come forward with any information that you have, break the silence.’ 12’44
12`46 OT- Barillà - without Insert
“The N’Drangheta poisons Calabrians, and we must choose which side we are on. We will sink the N’Dragheta!” 12’53