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.
It is estimated that illegal logging accounts for 50-90% of the volume of forestry activities in key producer tropical countries and 15-30% of all wood traded globally. It is also estimated that illegal logging still occurs in many formally protected forests, especially in tropical countries.
