Tons of Illegal Logs Seized During World’s Largest Environmental Crime Investigation

A law enforcement official stops a truck loaded with timber at a checkpoint in Ecuador as part of Interpol's Operation Thunderstorm.Several tons of illegally logged timber was seized in an environmental crime investigation that spanned 92 countries.

Titled “Operation Thunderstorm,” the investigation was initiated by the Interpol Wildlife Crime Working Group and spanned the entire month of May. Aside from the wood and timber, the millions of dollars-worth of seizures during the operation included 43 tons of wild meat, 48 primates, 14 big cats and 1.3 tons of raw and processed elephant ivory.

The investigation involved police, customs, border, environment, wildlife and forestry agencies, and was the largest ever mounted globally against perpetrators of wildlife crime, according to Radio Canada International.

To snag illegal logging suspects, agencies established checkpoints for cars, trucks, boats and cargo transporters, conducting searches on suspicious shipments.

In total, the operation resulted in 1,974 seizures from some 1,400 suspects, and triggered arrests and investigations worldwide. Further arrests and prosecutions are also anticipated by Interpol.

“Operation Thunderstorm has seen significant seizures at [a] global level, showing how coordinated global operations can maximize impact,” Interpol Secretary General Jurgen Stock said in a statement. The operation “sends a clear message to wildlife criminals that the world’s law enforcement community is homing in on them,” he added.