Causing a stink: the story of the Probo Koala

Estonia: The Probo Koala, branded a toxic crime scene by Greenpeace activists who accuse Trafigura of intoxicating Africans with a poisonous waste shipment Photograph: Christian Aslund/Greenpeace

Ivory Coast, September 2006: Members of an expert team who specialise in treating toxic waste take samples from areas where the waste was dumped Photograph: Issouf Sanogo/AFP

Ivory Coast, September 2006: Specialists work to remove toxic waste at one of the contaminated sites Photograph: Legnan Koula /EPA

Abidjan, Ivory Coast, September 2008: A woman whose face is disfigured, allegedly due to exposure to the toxic waste in August 2006, joins protests against those responsible. Photograph: Legnan Koula/EPA

Abidjan, Ivory Coast, September 2008: A child whose body is covered in lesions. According to the child's parents, the skin condition was caused by the toxic waste. Trafigura disputes this Photograph: Issouf Sanogo/AFP

Zurich, Switzerland, February 2007: Trafigura director Dauphin found himself temporarily jailed alongside two company executives when he went out to the Ivory Coast in an attempt to handle the dumping crisis Photograph: KLAUS ROSZA/AP

Abidjan, Ivory Coast, October 2008: The director general of Ivorian contractors Tommy, Salomon Ugborugbo (second right, second row), former Abidjan port commander Bombo Dagni Marcel (right, second row) and the former director-general of maritime and port affairs, Tibe Bi Balou (right, third row) in the dock during the trial of nine people accused over the dumping of toxic waste. Ugborugbo was convicted on a charge of poisoning and jailed for 20 years. A local shipping agent was sentenced to five years for complicity, and the seven other defendents were acquitted Photograph: Kambou Sia/AFP