Illegal deforestation and logging are often connected with other crimes, such as drug trafficking, wildlife trafficking, child labor and illegal mining, a United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime study found.
“This overlap exacerbates the already dire effects of forest crime and underscores the need for a coordinated approach, stronger regulations and robust enforcement to effectively combat these interconnected threats to our biodiversity, economy and global security,” UNODC Chief of Research and Analysis Angela Me said in a statement.
Organized crime groups can be involved in forest crime to boost profits, increase influence or bolster territorial control, the study found.
Forest crimes are often difficult to police, as illegally logged timber can enter legal markets through fraudulent permits, bribery and regulatory loopholes.
Regulating forest crime has successfully reduced illegal timber supply at its source; however, it’s also led crime groups to harvest less-regulated species or move their operations to other areas, the report says.
Read the full study here.
