July 2011 - Green Customs Initiative

ENVIRONMENTALCRIMEPROGRAMMENEWSINTERPOLJuly 2011contentsNews 2Programme updates 3International co-operation 3Future events 4Get involved 4The past months have seen some staffchanges within the Programme. Themultinational team is formed by DavidHiggins, Emile Lindemulder, Justin Gosling,Ioana Botezatu and Cilia Maria Ruiz-Paz.We have recently welcomed William Clark,and will soon be welcoming a secondedoffi cer from Brazil, Marco Antônio Araújo deLima. Concluding their valuable work withinINTERPOL are Susan Van Den Brink andJolanda T’Lam, who have analyzed specifi cand targeted subjects on environmentalcrime, on a short-term basis.editorialEnvironmental crime spans many different issues with animpact both on our security, economy and living environment.At INTERPOL, we coordinate a wide range of projects to providea targeted response to very specifi c areas of crime. Theseprojects continue to gain in strength, and the recent launch ofnew initiatives will serve to reinforce law enforcement action on aglobal level.The INTERPOL Pollution Crime Forensics Project was launched inMay at a global conference in Lakewood, USA. Forensic evidenceis vital in supporting investigations and prosecutions and, giventhe transnational nature of environmental crime, it is crucial thatcountries across the world share standards and best practices. Thisproject has already created a forum of experts and aims to developa pollution crime forensics manual and a basic environmentalforensic fi eld kit for agencies in developing countries.Two ambitious wildlife projects, Predator and Wisdom, haveattracted important fi nancial and departmental support. Bothprojects take an intelligence-led approach with the ultimate aim ofdismantling international organized crime networks and, as withall our projects, they encourage involvement from both the publicand private sectors.This cross-sector approach is crucial in tackling environmental crime.We promote the idea of national environmental summits, bringingtogether all environmental enforcement agencies, customs, foreignaid and foreign affairs alongside national police. We have examplesof successful summits in the United States, the Netherlands andSweden, which have enabled stakeholders to better manageinternational environmental intelligence. Together with your INTERPOLNational Central Bureau, the Environmental Crime Programmeencourages you to organize this type of event in your country to giveimpetus to global environmental law enforcement.I hope you enjoy this newsletter and I invite you to write tous at environmentalcrime@interpol.int to share your ideasand experiences. By working together, we can preserve theenvironment of today for the generations of tomorrow.DAVID HIGGINSMANAGER, ENVIRONMENTAL CRIME PROGRAMME© INTERPOLwww.interpol.intENVIRONMENTAL CRIMEIT’S GLOBAL THEFT

INTERNATIONAL ENVIRONMENTALCRIME NEWSJuly 2011newsQUARTERLY INTELLIGENCE REPORTThis performance report assesses the sharing of globalenvironmental intelligence through INTERPOL channels andsystems. Covering data from 2006 onwards, the emphasis is onthe fi rst quarter of 2011. The report includes best practices andrecommendations on how to improve international cooperationand strengthen the intelligence process. Importantly, it providesa basis for identifying trends, routes, risks and other importantenforcement strategies. The report (for offi cial use only) isavailable from your National Central Bureau, with a public versionpublished on the INTERPOL website. The next report will beavailable in the coming weeks.EUROPOL / INTERPOL THREAT ASSESSMENTAnalysis carried out by Europol reveals important data aboutorganized crime groups based in the European Union who areillicitly trading endangered species of wild fauna and fl ora. TheINTERPOL Environmental Crime Programme provided criminalintelligence and recommendations to the law enforcementcommunity based on these fi ndings. A key recommendationis to encourage countries to form national multi-disciplinaryteams, in which police, customs and environmental agencieswork together to investigate and prosecute those individuals,companies, networks and organized crime groups engaged inthe traffi cking of endangered species.www.europol.europa.eu (press release, 20 May 2011)UNITED SATES ENVIRONMENTAL ENFORCEMENT SUMMITThis ongoing event brings together all the environment, biodiversityand natural resource law enforcement agencies in the USA, aswell as those that support international capacity building efforts.The summit has recognized law enforcement as a crucial elementin maintaining stability in many fi elds of conservation: scientifi c,management, policy and legal. It has further identifi ed theEnvironmental Crime Programme as a vital platform for connectingall environmental enforcement agencies through INTERPOL’sglobal network. We urge you to hold a high level meeting in yourcountry, to strengthen working relations with agencies you alreadycooperate with and to establish new partners.© Peter Younger© Diana Mihalcea© Diana Mihalcea© Photodiscwww.interpol.int2

INTERNATIONAL ENVIRONMENTALCRIME NEWSJuly 2011programme updatesPOLLUTION CRIME FORENSICSThe Pollution Crime Forensics Conference held in May provided aforum for investigators, forensic experts and prosecutors from 17countries to exchange innovative ideas. The event also saw thelaunch of a new INTERPOL project on Pollution Crime Forensicswhich recognizes the role of forensics in successful environmentalprosecutions. The meeting in Lakewood, USA, was co-hosted withthe US Environmental Protection Agency.GLOBAL E-WASTE PROJECTThe results of a one-year strategic and tactical analysis, and ageneral project report, will be disseminated in July to all INTERPOLNational Central Bureaus. The assessment (for offi cial use only)calls for a dedicated team to gather intelligence and analyse theglobal e-waste problem. The next step is to secure the fundingnecessary to advance the project and to disrupt those criminalnetworks that illegally export and dump electronic waste indeveloping countries around the world.PROJECT PREDATORThis new project, designed around the role of intelligence-ledenforcement, will address tiger related crimes in the 13 tiger rangecountries. Combining intelligence from all sources is vital in linking,pursuing and apprehending criminals and ultimately destroyingtheir international networks. Project Predator will provide ongoingsupport for intelligence exchange and analysis. Funding iscurrently being negotiated with various potential donors.PROJECT WISDOMAlso based around intelligence is Project WISDOM, which willstart with a basic investigative skills course in Botswana (22-27August). Ten countries in southern Africa will be involved in anextensive intelligence and information gathering phase followedby intelligence-led enforcement actions. The Project is supportedby the International Fund for Animal Welfare and Humane SocietyInternational.YOUR SUPPORTAll INTERPOL projects are open for funding and for yourconsideration, meaning that governmental, non-governmentaland business organizations can contribute to environmental lawenforcement. Additionally, your assistance could help us expandour staff structure and thereby strengthen INTERPOL’s globalresponse to environmental crime.www.interpol.intINTERNATIONAL CO-OPERATIONWe continue to represent INTERPOL in numerousinternational meetings, promoting the useof the Organization’s tools and services, andencouraging cross-sector partnerships to combatenvironmental crime.• Technical Committee to the Agreementon the Conservation of Gorillas and theirHabitatsKigali, Rwanda, March 2011• Expert level Seminar of the Augias ProjectBudapest, Hungary, March 2011• Regional Green Customs Seminar andSECI Environmental Crime Task ForceMeetingBudapest, Hungary, March 2011• European Implementation andEnforcement of Environmental Law -Transfrontier Shipment of Waste (IMPEL-TFS) ConferenceKassel, Germany, April 2011• 22 nd Meeting of the Wildlife TradeEnforcement Group EUBrussels, Belgium, April 2011• Symposium on Private-Public Partnershipsagainst Transnational Organized CrimeVienna, Austria, April 2011• CITES Ivory and Rhino Enforcement TaskForceNairobi, Kenya, May 2011• London Partner MeetingsLondon, United Kingdom, May 2011• 2 nd Meeting Waste Shipments Complianceand Enforcement PlatformBrussels, Belgium, May 2011• Waste Day - Panel DiscussionTilburg, The Netherlands, May 2011• Legal Prosecutors and InvestigatorsNetwork Against Voluntary MarinePollutionMarseille, France, June 2011• Wildlife Detector Dogs – exchange ofexperiences of existing wildlife detectordog programmesTreviso, Italy, June 2011• 9 th International Conference onEnvironmental Compliance andEnforcementWhistler, Canada, June 2011• Meeting on Proposal to includeEnvironmental Crime on SOMTC AgendaBangkok, Thailand, June 20113

INTERNATIONAL ENVIRONMENTALCRIME NEWSJuly 2011future events17 th Meeting of INTERPOL Pollution Crime Working Group and23 rd Meeting of INTERPOL Wildlife Crime Working GroupThe INTERPOL Working Groups on Environmental Crime will takeplace this year from 14 to 18 November in Bangkok, Thailand.The working groups give an excellent opportunity for membercountries to voice their views regarding the enforcement ofenvironmental laws. Government offi cials exchange skills but alsoassist in the development of regionally-based or subject-basedenvironmental crime groups. The working groups also enhanceworking partnerships between nations against internationalenvironmental crime. Your presence and active involvement hasan added value to global environmental efforts.Last year’s Pollution Crime Working Group focused on specifi cpollution projects and the outcomes for the stakeholders, whilethe Wildlife Crime Working Group worked on subjects such ascommunication and intelligence, fi sheries and forestry, but alsotigers, elephants and rhinos.High Level Police and Customs SeminarDeveloping a Dynamic Response to Tiger CrimeThis seminar will start on Tuesday 14 November 2011, in Bangkok,Thailand, to coincide with the above-mentioned meetings of theINTERPOL Environmental Crime Working Groups.The event is aimed at high level executive offi cers from policeand customs agencies, to raise their awareness of the plight ofwild tigers, the threats they face and the enforcement measuresnecessary to combat such threats. Another objective is to fostergreater cross-border cooperation between police and customsagencies, other relevant enforcement agencies and intergovernmentalorganizations.INTERPOL is organizing this seminar on behalf of the InternationalConsortium on Combating Wildlife Crime (ICCWC), the members ofwhich include the CITES Secretariat, INTERPOL, the United NationsOffi ce on Drugs and Crime, World Bank and the World CustomsOrganization.See our website for all the conference documentation.get involvedACKNOWLEDGEMENTSWe would like to thank the agenciesbelow for their generous fi nancialsupport. We hope that their leadershipwill encourage other organizationsand environmental law enforcementauthorities to follow suit in supportingthe Programme with seconded offi cersand annual contributions.Governmental organizations• The Netherlands Government andPolice• The United States EnvironmentalProtection Agency• Environment CanadaNon-governmental organizations• The International Fund for AnimalWelfare• Freeland FoundationAct now as tomorrow may be too late.Contact us by email at:environmentalcrime@interpol.intOr by post at:Environmental Crime ProgrammeINTERPOLGeneral Secretariat200, quai Charles de Gaulle69006 Lyon - France© EIAwww.interpol.int4