Transcript Slide 1

INTERPOL’S
ENVIRONMENTAL
CRIMES COMMITTEE
Arwyn Jones
ECENA Plenary Meeting
September 2007
1
Interpol
Interpol – What are we
It supports and assists all organizations,
authorities and services whose mission is
to prevent or combat international crime.
There are 184 member countries.
Its primary role is the collection,
comparison and exchange of information.
Interpol Environmental Crimes
Committee
Environmental Crimes
Committee
Set up in 1993
Hosts International Environmental
Crimes Conferences
Assists in identifying problems
associated with Environmental Crimes
investigations
Identifies solutions
Two Working Groups of the
Environmental Crimes
Committee
Wildlife Crimes Working Group
Pollution Crimes Working
Group
International Meetings &
Conferences on Environmental
Crime
Conference June 2-3, 2005 in Lyon, France
Preceded by meetings of the two working
groups.
Attended by 46 countries from every inhabited
continent in the world.
See: www.interpol.int
2006 & 2007 – 2 day working group meetings
Accomplishments 2005 – 2007
With outside funding, Interpol hired a full-time
wildlife crimes desk officer.
Interpol pledged $85,000 to buy a wildlife
surveillance plane in Africa.
Specific projects, including Clean Seas, links to
organized crime, training, etc started
Investigators Oil Pollution Manual published
Qualitative Assessment of involvement of organised
crime in pollution crime completed
Advocacy memo of seriousness of environmental
crime published for use for prosecutors
Committee Projects
Interpol Environmental Crimes
Training Program
Ecomessage
Environmental Crimes Training
“very useful information which changed my
approach to the problem of environmental crime”
“underscore ‘A plus’ for this course . . . training is
definitely needed and useful”
Environmental Crimes Training
Purpose is to train local law enforcement
to recognize environmental crime,
investigate and protect health and welfare
of community
Train-the-trainer format
International faculty
Modules on pollution, wildlife, bioterrorism,
personal safety and cooperation
Interactive and practical
Interpol’s Ecomessage
Objectives:
Enhance communication
among environmental law
enforcement in different
countries.
Develop a data base to
determine trends of
environmental criminal activity.
Past Data Collection Problems
Required information from scattered
sources
No standard method of reporting
No international repository
Environmental law enforcement officers in
one country did not know colleagues in
another country
The Ecomessage
Covers All Environmental Crime
Having International Ramifications
Wildlife smuggling
Illegal transboundary shipments of waste
Vessel pollution
Banned substances smuggling e.g ODS
Foreign witnesses, defendants, victims
Ecomessage: How It Works
Interpol General Secretariat in Lyon,
France is central repository
Standardized form
Compatible with Interpol’s database
Efficient cross-referencing of data with
other entries
Organized and meaningful extraction of
data
Ecomessage Accomplishments
Project Noah – illegal trade of reptiles
Illegal trade of primates
Assisted investigation concerning
shipment of radioactive waste
Conviction of Anson Wong
– Interpol Red Notice in Mexico City
– Pleaded guilty to 40 Felony Count Indictment
– Sentenced to 71 months in US prison
Current Efforts to Broaden
Involvement and Increase Quantity
of Ecomessages
More than 2000 Ecomessages have been
submitted to Interpol.
Majority relate to wildlife crime.
Approx. 150 concern transboundary shipment of
hazardous waste.
Collaborative effort with International Fund for
Animal Welfare (IFAW) and INECE.
Kenya Wildlife Service recipient of first
Ecomessage award.
Training to Kenya Wildlife Service
Training March, 2006
Investigative
techniques
Forensics
Anti-corruption
Human rights and law
enforcement
Follow up
Wildlife Working Group
Projects
Project Adan
Determine links
between elephant
poaching and
organized crime and
terrorism.
Data from Interpol
and NGOs
Interpol to provide
criminal analyses
Are There Links Between
Wildlife Crime and Terrorism?
Wildlife Working Group
Airport Project
Most illegal wildlife
trafficking passes
through airports.
Develop networks
with airport security
personnel and
provide strategies for
intervention.
Wildlife Crimes Training
To supplement Interpol’s
Environmental Crimes
Training.
This project will develop
a course fully devoted to
wildlife criminal
investigation and
enforcement.
Pollution Crimes Working Group
Projects
Operation Clean Seas
Links Between
Environmental Crime
and Organized Crime
and Terrorism
Penalties Project
Pollution Crimes Working Group
Projects
Operation Clean
Seas
Concerns the
intentional discharges
of pollution from ships
Violation of domestic
law and international
treaties
Global environmental
problem
Operation Clean Seas
Worst Offenders
Database
Purpose: target
violators and
determine trends.
Presently data of over
1500 violations from
seven countries.
KEY FINDINGS >>>>>>>>>
• Entire industry polluting
• Study indicated no causality between logical
indicators and pollution incidents; e.g., type of
vessel, flag state, nationality, etc.
• As more countries provide data, information
becomes more statistically relevant
• Commonalities from this analysis will yield a
robust and useable profiling system
Any vessel is a potential polluter
. . . except for this guy . . .
. . . maybe.
Operation Clean Seas
Best Investigative Practices
Purpose: Provide highest quality and
consistency to ship source oil pollution
investigations.
Approach: compile and review procedures
being used around the world.
Published a manual and being
disseminated widely.
Organised Crime Links
2006 report findings of a proven link
accepted by the Committee and Interpol
Current Phase is examining in more detail
the exports sector of waste electrical
equipment
We aim to produce a “problem profile” that
regulators can use to decide how best to
intervene in illegal export of electrical
waste
Penalties project
Compiled a picture of how different
environmental crimes are treated in the
courts by the size of the fines issued
Published an Advocacy memo for
prosecutors to use in court to emphasise
the seriousness of environmental crimes.
Working Group Meeting 2007
Further initiatives – Air Pollution project
agreed
SuperForm to replace Ecomessage form
Linking pollution crimes to contributing to
climate change
Increase fundraising efforts further our
work
Encourage wider country participation in
projects
Summary
We are here to help
We have unique networks and resources that can
support investigators
We deliver outputs that give practical support to
tackling environmental crime
We are committed to collaborative working with other
organisations and networks
To be effective we must all work together to tackle those
who abuse our environment