In the Amazon Basin, Central Africa and Southeast Asia, organized crime is behind 50-90 percent of illegal logging, according to a report released Thursday by the United Nations and Interpol, an organization facilitating international police cooperation.
The annual market for illegally logged timber now stands at $30-100 billion and accounts for 15-30 percent of the world's overall timber trade, the report says. Most of it is destined for China, while the U.S., Japan and the European Union (EU) are also primary importers.
"Illegal logging is not on the decline, rather it is becoming more advanced as cartels become better organized," the report reads. Fueling the market are conflict, corruption, decentralized governmental structures and weak environmental laws. The criminal groups combine old-fashioned methods like bribes with new-age techniques like computer hacking to beat the system, according to the report.
Culprits launder logs through palm oil plantations and saw mills, and also shift activities between regions and countries to avoid local and international policing efforts. To fight all this, Interpol said an internationally coordinated law enforcement and training effort-estimated to cost around $20 to $30 million annually-is needed.
The full report, "Green Carbon, Black Trade," can be read here.
