Environmental crime is now the fourth more profitable operation for
organised crime, being only behind from drug trafficking, counterfeiting
and human trafficking.
France24, reported that international experts on environmental crime
gathered in the French city of Nimes for three days of discussions on
the issue and delegates stressed that environmental crime is a serious
and growing international problem which generates profits between $70
billion and $213 billion per year, for various criminal gangs.
The French news website, spoke with Cees Van Duijn, Interpol’s
Environmental Crime Programme project leader, who expressed his regret
that environmental crime issue is largely missing from the agenda of the
UN Climate Change Conference which will take place in Paris in
December.
“I regret that this issue is being overlooked at the international
climate conference. We need stronger political support in order to
address these types of crimes, but to get that political support we need
people who have firsthand knowledge of the problem to be invited to
speak at major meetings.
The consequences of drug trafficking are immediately visible, but
this is not the case with environmental crime, which can seem an
abstract phenomenon – so it is hard to it make it a priority. Yet we are
all victims of crimes committed against the environment, even if they
occur on the other side of the planet,” Van Duijn stressed.
Environmental crime includes a number of illegal activities such as
wildlife crime, which is the illegal exploitation of the world’s wild
flora and fauna; and pollution crime which is the trade and disposal of
waste and hazardous substances in contravention of national and
international laws. In addition to these clear and present crimes, new
types of environmental crime are emerging, such as carbon trade and
water management crime.
A significant proportion of both wildlife and pollution crime is
carried out by organized criminal networks. Interpol, underlines that
the same routes used to smuggle wildlife across countries and continents
are often used to smuggle weapons, drugs and people. Usually,
environmental crime often occurs hand in hand with other offences such
as passport fraud, corruption, money laundering and murder, Interpol
underlines.
Van Duijn told France24, that even though the mafia is involved in
organised crime there are other groups too which “are most active in the
field of environmental crime” but they “are much more flexible
organisations, which makes them all the more elusive.”
http://neurope.eu/article/interpol-environmental-crime-fourth-most-profitable-operation-for-organised-crime/