The Deputy Minister of Justice in the Iranian regime recently disclosed a disconcerting reality: the turnover of the garbage mafia in the capital is officially estimated at 3 trillion tomans per year. However, unofficial statistics suggest that the actual figures are much higher. This revelation sheds light on a sinister phenomenon where mafia agents associated with the regime manage garbage collecting activities, exploiting both children and adults.
The root cause of this issue lies in the illegal waste mafia, whose activities are considered criminal, leaving scars on the societal body, disrupting the city landscape, and violating citizens’ rights. Despite admissions from various officials and managers of Tehran municipality over the last two decades regarding the existence of a significant garbage-collecting mafia and the exploitation of children in this realm, no effective solutions have been implemented.
Aside from the humanitarian crisis involving children collecting garbage, Tehran faces the alarming reality of producing over 7,000 tons of garbage daily—three times more than the global average. This staggering statistic underscores the severity of the issue and demands immediate attention.
The primary catalyst for this crisis across Iranian cities is the widening poverty and dire economic situation prevailing in the country over the last decade. In the case of children involved in garbage collection, experts and some regime officials acknowledge the existence of a structured gang system. Contractors openly announce their need for a specific number of children, triggering the initiation of human trafficking activities.
This well-organized system charges a fee of two million tomans per child, who subsequently enter unsanitary waste segregation systems, often residing in the same garages filled with sorted junk ready for sale. These children work from 12:00 noon to 3:00 am, receiving payment based on the weight of garbage collected each day.
In March 2021, the Tasnim news agency reported the monthly income of Tehran Municipality from dry waste collection points, quoting Abolfazl Ghenati, a former member of the Tehran City Council. The figures revealed a staggering 4 trillion tomans, yet it was noted that the share allocated to waste collectors was less than three percent of this massive turnover. This data suggests that Tehran Municipality plays a significant role in fostering garbage mafia gangs and exploiting working children, contributing to the perpetuation of this alarming social crisis.
