Latin American countries in first INTERPOL operation

New Post Public Reply Private Reply Replies (0) Message Board

Apr 15, 2013 at 6:44 AM

Latin American countries in first INTERPOL operation against illegal logging
Seized wood equivalent to 2,000 truckloads of timber, with some 120 individuals under investigation

LYON, France – INTERPOL’s first international operation targeting large-scale illegal logging and forest crimes has resulted in almost 200 arrests as well as in the seizure of millions of dollars’ worth of timber and some 150 vehicles across Latin America.

Operation Lead (17 September- 17 November 2012), undertaken in 12 countries in Central and South America under the auspices of INTERPOL’s Environmental Crime Programme and its Project Leaf, brought together law enforcement agencies to combat forestry crime in Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Guatemala, Honduras, Paraguay, Peru, and Venezuela.

Under the operation, officials carried out inspections and investigations on transport vehicles, retail premises, and individuals, as well as surveillance and monitoring at ports and various transport centres.

The resulting seizures of wood and related products during the operation are estimated to amount to more than 50,000 m3 of seized wood, equivalent to some 2,000 truckloads of timber. The total value of the seized timber is estimated at around USD 8 million.

Along with the seizures, participating countries reported a total of 194 arrests, with 118 individuals currently under investigation, and several cases of deportation.

One of the key aims of Operation Lead was the development of practical cooperation and communication among national environmental law enforcement agencies, including forest authorities, police, customs, and specialized units as well as with international organizations such as INTERPOL.

“Operation Lead marks the beginning of INTERPOL’s effort to assist its member countries to combat illegal logging and forestry crime, which affects not only the health, security and quality of life of local forest-dependent communities, but also causes significant costs to governments in terms of lost economic revenue,” said David Higgins, Programme Manager of the Environmental Crime Programme at INTERPOL. “This is an important goal for Project Leaf as a way to counter the illegal timber trade, currently estimated to be worth between USD 30 to 100 billion annually.”

“The intelligence gathered during this first phase of Operation Lead will be used as a foundation for more incisive actions against illegal logging to be taken by INTERPOL, in cooperation with its member countries. INTERPOL will continue to support countries to establish long term sustainable improvements in law enforcement responses to illegal and unsustainable deforestation,” added Davyth Stewart, INTERPOL Criminal Intelligence Officer and team leader of Project Leaf.

Project Leaf is a consortium initiative led by INTERPOL, with the United Nations Environment Programme and with the financial support of the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation.

This Project supports countries to tackle illegal logging and forestry crime which undermine attempts to implement national and international forest protection policies and sustainable forestry practices.

The trans-national nature of illegal logging raises difficulties for law enforcement and regulators, who are often limited in their ability to work outside their own domestic jurisdiction. Project Leaf is assisting law enforcement agencies from different countries in coordinating a global law enforcement response.

Hollund Industrial Marine Inc. (HIMR) Stock Research Links

HIMR Board Company Profile Buy Rating Time & Sales News Filings Financials

Newer

Older

Scroll down for more posts ▼

Top 10 Most Recent News Articles

ReachWell Revamps Platform for Better Community Reach

ReachWell's Fresh Approach: A New Era Begins Become the whisper in the wind reaching ears far and wide—enter the new ReachWell. Sounds lofty? Well, it's shooting for the stars here, folks. This isn’t just some tech upgrade. It’s a whole new brand identity and a refreshed sense of purpose. These guys have tossed everything back on the drawing board, unveiling a...

OppFi's Q3 2026: Is Their Growth Strategy on Track?

OppFi's Third Quarter Performance Unpacked OppFi's recent third-quarter disclosures should get investors pondering. They've launched a new line of credit product, plugging a gap in their service portfolio, and aimed to widen their customer net. Their targeted share repurchase of $6.7 million in stock isn't small potatoes either, showing a vote of confidence in their own...

Regal Healthcare: Five Years of Founder-Friendly Valor

Why Founder-Friendly Matters More Than Ever in Healthcare Well folks, in a year when everyone's tossing around terms like 'value-added' and 'strategic support', seeing Regal Healthcare Capital Partners snag slot number five straight on Inc.'s Founder-Friendly Investors list feels like catching a rare breed of fish twice. Seriously, these folks are stamping their forte as...

FirstEnergy's New Tech to Bolster Pennsylvania Grid

Electricity Demand Spurs Grid Innovation The winds of change are blowing across Pennsylvania's power grid. FirstEnergy Transmission's (NYSE:FE) subsidiary, Keystone Appalachian Transmission Company (KATCo), is diving into a significant federally funded project to reinforce grid reliability. With electricity demand on an upward trajectory, Pennsylvania and beyond need...

Innovative Trial Targets Drug Resistance in Lung Cancer

The Battle Against Drug Resistance Heats Up Folks, we're in a never-ending fight here against one of the toughest adversaries out there: lung cancer. And lemme tell ya, when drugs show resistance, it's like trying to punch a ghost. But there’s a fresh wind blowing, as Dr. Bobak Parang steps up to the plate with a $620K grant aimed squarely at tackling drug resistance in...

Royce Small-Cap Trust Shows Resilience Amid Volatility

A Closer Look at Royce's Latest Moves Royce Small-Cap Trust (NYSE: RVT), the venerable old timer in the small-cap fund world, has been trucking along the market's bumpy byways since forever ago. With over 50 years of small- and micro-cap investment experience under its belt, you'd think it might have seen everything by now. But in the volatile world of small caps,...

Blade and Bow Drops Rare 30-Year-Old Cask Strength Expression

Turning Heads with a Rich Pour Forget watering down—Blade and Bow's latest masterpiece, the 30-Year-Old Cask Strength Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, is all about power. This new offering hasn't seen a drop of water since it left the barrel, clocking in at a punchy 164.2 proof. That's right, folks, they haven't pulled any punches this time. Heading into November,...

AI Revolutionizing Hotel Revenue and Guest Engagement

AI Makes Hotel Stays More Than Just a Room Ever had one of those stays where everything just clicked, and you wished you'd booked a longer visit? Well, it seems AI is turning those dreams into a reality for more folks than ever before. Canary Technologies just dropped a bombshell in the hospitality realm, showing us how artificial intelligence is reshaping the way we...

ESI Motion's Role in Lockheed's Missile Defense Program

ESI Motion's Solar Drive Tech Joins the Defense Arena Picture this: ESI Motion Inc. just inked a deal with Lockheed Martin to supply Solar Array Drive Electronics (SADE) technology—a serious move in space tech. Now, ESI isn't just playing in the local Simi Valley sandbox; they're thrusting their tech into something much more critical—national defense. We're talking...

A&S Construction Creates Winning Culture in Louisville

A&S Construction's Winning Formula: Culture Over Growth Look, in the dog-eat-dog world of construction, what really sets you apart isn't just how many roofs you stack up or the number of renovations you churn through. It's how you treat your people. And A&S Construction of Louisville gets that—ranking No. 6 in its category on the 2026 Best Places to Work list, all while...