Related Resources Interpol: Environmental Crime Environmental crime is a serious and growing international problem, with criminals violating national and international laws put in place to protect the environment. GreenCustoms Illegal international trade in commodities such as ozone depleting substances, toxic chemicals, hazardous wastes and endangered species can seriously undermine the effectiveness of multilateral environmental agreements. Environmental Investigation Agency EIA is an international campaigning organization committed to investigating and exposing environmental crime. ASEAN Wildlife Enforcement Network The Association of Southeast Asian Nations formed a cross-agency, cross-border network that will target criminals and syndicates involved in the lucrative illegal wildlife trade in May 2006. Lusaka Agreement Task Force LATF is an inter-governmental organisation whose main objective is co-operation to combat illegal trade in wild fauna and flora. Parties: Congo (Brazzaville), Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and the Kingdom of Lesotho. Signatories: South Africa, Ethiopia and the Kingdom of Swaziland.

International environmental crime poses challenges to governments, international organizations, regional organizations, non-governmental organizations, and officials attempting to combat it. Environmental damage caused by illegal trade is growing, with local and international crime syndicates worldwide earning an estimated US$22-31 billion annually from hazardous waste dumping, smuggling proscribed hazardous materials, and exploiting and trafficking protected natural resources. (source: UNEP)

Selected Articles on Environmental Crimes

• Lauterback & Clark, Interpol's Eco-message (2005)
• Summary of INECE 7th Conference Workshop 1C: Eco-message/Interpol and the Police (2005)
• Brito et al, New Brazilian Environmental Crimes Law (2005)
• Schmidt, Environmental Crimes: Profiting at the Earth's Expense (2004)
• Brack, International Environmental Crime: The Nature and Control of Environmental Black Markets (2002)
• International Crime Threat Assessment: Environmental Crime (2000)

Information on Ecomessage

Interpol created Ecomessage to serve as a database and a system for governments to report all major environmental crimes, including:

• illegal transborder movements and illegal dumping of wastes;
• illegal transborder activities involving radioactive substances
• illegal traffic in species of wild flora and fauna.

Ecomessage uses a standard form to transmit details of an environmental crime to Interpol. Interpol then uses the information to identify patterns in environmental criminal activity. The following documents provide an introduction to Ecomessage and examples of the Ecomessage reporting form, and a blank form that can be printed and used.

Please note that Ecomessages can only be submitted using the standard reporting form and must be sent to the Interpol National Central Bureau (NCB) in your country.

1. Download the Ecomessage Standard Form
   English Español Français العربية

2. Ecomessage Example: Illegal Traffic in Wildlife
   English Español Français

3. Ecomessage Example: Illegal Movement of Hazardous Wastes
   English

4. Ecomessage: Instructions

5. Ecomessage: What it is and how it functions

6. Ecomessage: 1-page briefing sheet

7. Ecomessage Award: Government of Kenya Becomes 1st Recipient of Interpol Ecomessage Award (July 2005)