Protecting the planet against organized crime

Rhinos, pangolins, totoaba fish, rosewood. All are protected species under international law. And all are prized by organized crime groups as low-risk sources of high profits. Our first issue of INTERPOL Spotlight looks at how we combat the criminal networks threatening the planet.

Environmental crime has a devastating impact on climate, biodiversity, local habitats and the communities that rely on them. It is one of the most profitable forms of criminal activity worldwide, generating hundreds of billions of illegal dollars every year and growing on average at 5-7 per cent a year. In contrast, organized crime groups know that the penalties are low in most countries and that, where environmental protection agencies exist, they are not always under police authority. This high-profit, low-risk paradox, coupled with poor governance, corruption, and limited law enforcement resources, as well as growing industrial and consumer demand for valuable minerals and protected flora and fauna, means crimes against the environment have become even more attractive to organized criminal networks. ➡️ Read Full Story

Global + local = success against organized drug crime in Gabon

The iboga bush is classified as a national heritage plant in Gabon, where its root bark is used in traditional ceremonies. But its psychoactive properties also make it attractive to organized crime. Together, local and international police are disrupting the illegal trade.

Ibogaine is a psychoactive substance found in the root bark of iboga, a bush that is endemic to Cameroon, the Republic of the Congo, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Angola and especially Gabon, where it has long been used during initiation rites in Bwiti, one of the country’s three main religions. But its hallucinogenic properties and its potential as a treatment for addiction have attracted both tourists eager to experience a local tradition and self-styled wellness practitioners offering ibogaine cures in rehab clinics and retreats in Europe, the Americas and beyond. ➡️ Read more

Dirty assets: the Silver Notice hits organized crime in its pocket

Globally, criminals succeed in keeping around 99 per cent of their illegal gains. Our new Silver Notice initiative aims to change that. It gives us global visibility on billions of dollars in illegal assets and supports their recovery and return to their legal owner.

The Silver Notice is the newest of INTERPOL’s colour-coded Notices and Diffusions, which enable countries to share alerts and requests for information worldwide. It was launched as a pilot this January with 51 participating countries and by end June over 50 Silver Notices had been published, involving countries from across the world. ➡️ Read more

Making vehicle theft a dead end for organized crime

When stolen vehicles are used to carry armed terrorists, bombs or drugs they become much more than a headache for their legal owner. Criminal Intelligence Officer Renato Schipani explains how INTERPOL’s Stolen Motor Vehicle unit is blocking the road for organized vehicle crime.

INTERPOL Spotlight: INTERPOL’S Stolen Motor Vehicle database contains almost eleven million records. What are the links between vehicle theft and organized crime?

Renato Schipani: Transnational criminal networks drive hundreds of thousands of vehicles into the global criminal underworld every year because they are a low-risk source of income and a low-cost tool for committing other types of crime. ➡️ Read more

Partnerships: working together to build a safer world

At INTERPOL, we believe that global security is the foundation for development. Our Partners Conference this July is an opportunity to spotlight our unique role in helping make that a reality, alongside stakeholders who share our vision. ➡️ Read more

Editorial

It is my pleasure to welcome you to this first issue of INTERPOL Spotlight, a newsletter for leaders in national security, development, foreign relations and beyond.

Like us, you know that transnational law enforcement forms the bedrock of global security, safeguarding people, our planet and supporting economic development. Here, we share that vision through real-life examples of how we and our partners are working to make it a reality.

In this first issue, we focus on fighting back against organized crime.

Today, international organized crime groups are expanding their profits, their reach and their impact. They’re taking advantage of the dark web and innovation, as the violence and chaos they bring in the real world destroy communities and leave the world more dangerous than ever. 

Beyond security, they undermine our judicial systems and stifle social and economic development, threatening national and international stability.

The fight against organized crime must be at the top of the global agenda and INTERPOL is ready to meet the challenge.

Not just because we are uniquely placed to coordinate the law enforcement response in this fight, but because we have experience – and, more importantly, we deliver results. 

You can learn about some of those results here, in INTERPOL Spotlight: how we are disrupting the criminal networks that increasingly threaten our shared future by plundering our planet, how we work hand in hand with our member countries to stop organized crime groups from exploiting new illicit markets, or how our new Silver Notice targets their ill-gotten financial gains across borders.

Organized crime groups are on notice: we’re targeting them, their networks and their money, to support a safer world for all.

We hope you will join us in this fight.

Valdecy Urquiza

Sign up to receive INTERPOL Spotlight via email ✍️🔗 https://lnkd.in/dhMD4q9R