Ecomessage ECENA 1 st Plenary Meeting Januari 19-20, 2006 Zagreb Henk Ruessink Environmental Inspectorate Ministry of Housing, Spatial Planning and Environment The Netherlands

Current Problems with environmental crime  Environmental crime is billion $/€ international business,  People, animals, ecosystems are faced with (severe) negative effects,  Law enforcement authorities have inadequate information concerning the size, structure & dynamics of (international) environmental crime,  There is inadequate communication and cooperation between environmental law enforcement agencies world-wide.

Ecomessage is Interpol’s reporting system for environmental crime Ecomessage covers  Illegal transborder movements & illegal dumping of wastes and ODS,  Vessel pollution,  Illegal transborder activities involving radioactive substances,  Illegal trafficking in wild flora and fauna

Ecomessage is official Interpol policy  Interpol circular letter, reference 38/DII/SD2/E/INT/WG/2/ENV/94  Of 9 June 1994,  outlines the responsibilities of NCBs to transmit Ecomessages to the Interpol General Secretariat

Ecomessage collects data that can be:  Analyzed to define the size, structure and dynamics of syndicates involved in international environmental crime, and  Alert and request assistance from law enforcement agencies in other Interpol- member countries, and  Cross-referenced within Interpol’s database to identify any links between an active case and prior criminality.

Major ivory seizure Good example of Ecomessage subject

Ecomessage Data I  There have been 313 Ecomessages filed since  Most of these have been wildlife offenses involving:  Elephants & ivory 85  Protected wildlife skins 57  Reptiles33  Caviar 26  Traditional Oriental Medicines 25

Most Common Contraband

Ecomessage Data II  There were approximately 800 Ecomessages filed before  Of these, the largest single commodity was elephant ivory, figuring in about 200 Ecomessages  Thus, the current total of Ecomessages should be about 1,113, of which about 285 should involve elephant ivory.

Smuggling Techniques  70 Luggage  45 Freight  22 Containers  15 Postal and Express Delivery Mails  7 Residential  6 Concealed in vehicles

Countries of Origin/Provenance  Indonesia  China  South Africa  Tanzania  Thailand  India  Netherlands  Malaysia  Afghanistan  Peru In ten or more cases:

Destinations  Czech Republic  Netherlands  Canada  Russia  Belgium  United Arab Emirates  Italy  Spain  USA  Tanzania

Transit Countries  Netherlands  Germany  Turkey  China  Kenya  Czech Republic

CAVEATS....  Data presented is NOT statistically valid!  The Ecomessage database is still much too small to be the basis of serious analysis  we need more !

Current Initiatives  Efforts are being made to stimulate submission of Ecomessages for both pollution and wildlife offenses.  INECE is sponsoring distribution of Ecomessage information to pollution control agencies.  IFAW is sponsoring the publishing and distribution of Ecomessage information to wildlife agencies.

Ecomessage Brochure Provides: Information about Ecomessage Instructions for completing forms and filing with Interpol Copies of Ecomessage forms Examples of Ecomessges Produced in Arabic English French Spanish Hard Copy & CD versions

Ecomessage Award  Wildlife Only  U.S. $30,000 award  Presented as law enforcement training or law enforcement equipment (no cash!)  Criteria established by Interpol’s Working Group on Wildlife Crime  Presented for a CITES Intersessional Period  Sponsored by IFAW

Your Participation is Important  Criminal syndicates are damaging the biosphere for their profit.  These syndicates can be stopped only once law enforcement learns their vulnerabilities and modes of operation.  These can be identified by analysis of Ecomessage data.

Thanks To:  Bill Clark  Interpol ...  And!

Ecomessage Countries!  Australia  Belgium  Botswana  Canada  Chile  Colombia  Czech Republic  Djibouti  Egypt  Germany  Hong Kong, China  India  Israel  Italy  Japan  Kenya  Namibia  Netherlands  New Zealand  Peru  Rwanda  Singapore  Slovenia  South Africa  Sweden  Switzerland  Thailand  Tanzania  Uganda  United Kingdom  United States  Zimbabwe