An international operation coordinated by the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) led to 233 arrests for environmental crimes and identified 60,000 hectares (about 148,000 acres) of illegally cleared forest across nine Latin American and Caribbean countries.
Investigators found that illegal timer trafficking networks were operating on an industrial scale along the corridor between Central and South America. Operation Madre Tierra VIII ran from June 1 to July 31 in Colombia, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua and Panama.
The operation expanded a Colombian investigation that began last year into 11 foreign companies suspected of clearing more than 52,000 hectares (about 128,000 acres) of protected Amazon forest. Investigators have now linked the network to 161 more companies and 65 individuals on several continents. Colombian raids led to 16 arrests. Investigators also uncovered widespread permit fraud and the alleged use of shell companies and foreign investment mechanisms.
“Following the money … helps a case move beyond the individuals physically harvesting the timber … and focuses on the companies that finance, manage and profit from the trade,” said Krandall Gullock, head of Interpol's Regional Bureau for Central America.
Read the full report here.
