Alarmed by the environmental crimes committed by organized crime, Quebec is taking drastic action and appointing an anti-corruption leader to combat this scourge, our investigative agency has learned.
According to his LinkedIn profile, the Environment Ministry is targeting former investigator Denis Morin, who has been retired from the Sûreté du Québec since 2021.
Denis Morin was notably the boss of the Marteau team from 2009 to 2012. This investigative team, which was integrated into the Permanent Anti-Corruption Unit (UPAC) in 2011, was tasked with investigating collusion in the industry and its links to organizational crimes.
Contaminated soils and buildings
“We currently know that certain polluters have connections to organized crime and that is why we would like to further expand this expertise,” commented Environment Ministry spokeswoman Ghizlane Behdaoui.
The presence of criminal groups can be observed particularly in cases involving contaminated soil and the management of construction, renovation and demolition residues, according to the ministry.
Several cases of suspected environmental crimes, possibly committed by members of criminal groups, have made headlines in recent years (see opposite).
The ministry declined to say whether it justified this stance by citing an increase in environmental crimes committed by criminal groups. He also declined to say how many such investigations were underway.
Develop “new strategies”.
The former investigator Denis Morin will have an advisory role and he himself is not obliged to carry out criminal investigations, it is said. The $80,000 contract, signed Nov. 10, has a maximum term of one year.
His role will be to develop “new investigative strategies” in connection with “cases that may involve individuals linked to organized crime,” the ministry adds.
The latter also wants to take more effective action against “fraudulent activities that aim to make economic gains by committing environmental crimes”.
Mr. Morin will also have to make recommendations so that Quebec is better legally equipped if it wants to take action.
Traceability program
Recall that in April 2019, the Ministry of Environment announced the establishment of a soil traceability program, which allows tracking the movement of the excavated contaminated soil to the planned destination in real time via GPS.
Minister Benoit Charette then pointed out that this was the “optimal solution to deal effectively with the numerous illegal dumping of contaminated soil observed in recent years”.
It was impossible to speak to Denis Morin because the ministry refused our request for an interview.
Cases of alleged violations
- 2022: The Ministry of the Environment sends to the DPCP a criminal file against Location Tri-Box, a company owned by Roberto Scoppa and close to organized crime, our investigative office reveals. In particular, the company is accused of non-compliant dumping of contaminated soil.
- 2019: The City of Montreal's Office of Inspector General (OIG) is concerned about organized crime infiltration in the cleanup of contaminated soil, a report says.
- 2017: Reports from La Presse lift the veil on the existence of open-air dumps of contaminated land, particularly on agricultural land. We learn that sometimes organized crime actors are involved.
- 2013: At the Charbonneau Commission, an engineer from the Ministry of the Environment claims to have lost track of contaminated soils from the Carboneutre company. This company was controlled by Raynald Desjardins and Domenico Arcuri, two men with ties to the mafia.
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