Ecomessage ECENA 1 st Plenary Meeting Januari 19

Ecomessage ECENA 1 st Plenary Meeting Januari 19 -20, 2006 Zagreb Henk Ruessink Environmental Inspectorate Ministry of Housing, Spatial Planning and Environment The Netherlands

Current Problems with environmental crime § Environmental crime is billion $/€ international business, § People, animals, ecosystems are faced with (severe) negative effects, § Law enforcement authorities have inadequate information concerning the size, structure & dynamics of (international) environmental crime, § There is inadequate communication and cooperation between environmental law enforcement agencies world-wide.

Ecomessage is Interpol’s reporting system for environmental crime Ecomessage covers § Illegal transborder movements & illegal dumping of wastes and ODS, § Vessel pollution, § Illegal transborder activities involving radioactive substances, § Illegal trafficking in wild flora and fauna

Ecomessage is official Interpol policy § Interpol circular letter, reference 38/DII/SD 2/E/INT/WG/2/ENV/94 § Of 9 June 1994, § outlines the responsibilities of NCBs to transmit Ecomessages to the Interpol General Secretariat

Ecomessage collects data that can be: § Analyzed to define the size, structure and dynamics of syndicates involved in international environmental crime, and § Alert and request assistance from law enforcement agencies in other Interpolmember countries, and § Cross-referenced within Interpol’s database to identify any links between an active case and prior criminality.

Major ivory seizure Good example of Ecomessage subject

Ecomessage Data I § There have been 313 Ecomessages filed since 2000. § Most of these have been wildlife offenses involving: § § § Elephants & ivory Protected wildlife skins Reptiles Caviar Traditional Oriental Medicines 85 57 33 26 25

Most Common Contraband

Ecomessage Data II § There were approximately 800 Ecomessages filed before 2000. § Of these, the largest single commodity was elephant ivory, figuring in about 200 Ecomessages § Thus, the current total of Ecomessages should be about 1, 113, of which about 285 should involve elephant ivory.

Smuggling Techniques § § § 70 45 22 15 7 6 Luggage Freight Containers Postal and Express Delivery Mails Residential Concealed in vehicles

Countries of Origin/Provenance In ten or more cases: § § § Indonesia China South Africa Tanzania Thailand § § § India Netherlands Malaysia Afghanistan Peru

Destinations § § § Czech Republic Netherlands Canada Russia Belgium § United Arab Emirates § Italy § Spain § USA § Tanzania

Transit Countries § § § Netherlands Germany Turkey China Kenya Czech Republic

CAVEATS. . § Data presented is NOT statistically valid! § The Ecomessage database is still much too small to be the basis of serious analysis we need more !

Current Initiatives § Efforts are being made to stimulate submission of Ecomessages for both pollution and wildlife offenses. § INECE is sponsoring distribution of Ecomessage information to pollution control agencies. § IFAW is sponsoring the publishing and distribution of Ecomessage information to wildlife agencies.

Ecomessage Brochure Provides: • Information about Ecomessage • Instructions for completing forms and filing with Interpol • Copies of Ecomessage forms • Examples of Ecomessges Produced in • Arabic • English • French • Spanish Hard Copy & CD versions

Ecomessage Award § § § Wildlife Only U. S. $30, 000 award Presented as law enforcement training or law enforcement equipment (no cash!) Criteria established by Interpol’s Working Group on Wildlife Crime Presented for a CITES Intersessional Period Sponsored by IFAW

Your Participation is Important Ø Criminal syndicates are damaging the biosphere for their profit. Ø These syndicates can be stopped only once law enforcement learns their vulnerabilities and modes of operation. Ø These can be identified by analysis of Ecomessage data.

Thanks To: § § § Bill Clark Interpol. . . §And!

Ecomessage Countries! § § § § Australia Belgium Botswana Canada Chile Colombia Czech Republic Djibouti Egypt Germany Hong Kong, China India Israel Italy Japan Kenya § § § § Namibia Netherlands New Zealand Peru Rwanda Singapore Slovenia South Africa Sweden Switzerland Thailand Tanzania Uganda United Kingdom United States Zimbabwe