EcomessageEcomessage

ECENA 1ECENA 1stst Plenary Meeting Plenary MeetingJanuari 19-20, 2006Januari 19-20, 2006

ZagrebZagreb

Henk RuessinkHenk Ruessink

Environmental InspectorateEnvironmental InspectorateMinistry of Housing, Spatial Planning and EnvironmentMinistry of Housing, Spatial Planning and Environment

The NetherlandsThe Netherlands

Current ProblemsCurrent Problemswith environmental crimewith environmental crime

Environmental crime is billion $/€ international Environmental crime is billion $/€ international business,business,

People, animals, ecosystems are faced with People, animals, ecosystems are faced with (severe) negative effects,(severe) negative effects,

Law enforcement authorities have inadequate Law enforcement authorities have inadequate information concerning the size, structure & information concerning the size, structure & dynamics of (international) environmental dynamics of (international) environmental crime,crime,

There is inadequate communication and There is inadequate communication and cooperation between environmental law cooperation between environmental law enforcement agencies world-wide.enforcement agencies world-wide.

EcomessageEcomessageis Interpol’s reporting system is Interpol’s reporting system for environmental crimefor environmental crime

Ecomessage coversEcomessage covers Illegal transborder movements & illegal Illegal transborder movements & illegal

dumping of wastes and ODS,dumping of wastes and ODS, Vessel pollution,Vessel pollution, Illegal transborder activities involving Illegal transborder activities involving

radioactive substances,radioactive substances, Illegal trafficking in wild flora and faunaIllegal trafficking in wild flora and fauna

EcomessageEcomessageis official Interpol policyis official Interpol policy

Interpol circular letter, reference Interpol circular letter, reference 38/DII/SD2/E/INT/WG/2/ENV/9438/DII/SD2/E/INT/WG/2/ENV/94

Of 9 June 1994, Of 9 June 1994, outlines the responsibilities of NCBs to outlines the responsibilities of NCBs to

transmit Ecomessages to the Interpol transmit Ecomessages to the Interpol General SecretariatGeneral Secretariat

EcomessageEcomessagecollects data that can be:collects data that can be:

Analyzed to define the size, structure and Analyzed to define the size, structure and dynamics of syndicates involved in dynamics of syndicates involved in international environmental crime, andinternational environmental crime, and

Alert and request assistance from law Alert and request assistance from law enforcement agencies in other Interpol-enforcement agencies in other Interpol-member countries, and member countries, and

Cross-referenced within Interpol’s Cross-referenced within Interpol’s database to identify any links between an database to identify any links between an active case and prior criminality.active case and prior criminality.

Major ivory seizureMajor ivory seizureGood example of Ecomessage subjectGood example of Ecomessage subject

Ecomessage Data IEcomessage Data I

There have been 313 Ecomessages filed There have been 313 Ecomessages filed since 2000.since 2000.

Most of these have been wildlife offenses Most of these have been wildlife offenses involving:involving: Elephants & ivoryElephants & ivory 8585 Protected wildlife skins Protected wildlife skins 5757 ReptilesReptiles 3333 Caviar Caviar 2626 Traditional Oriental Medicines Traditional Oriental Medicines 25 25

Most Common ContrabandMost Common Contraband

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

Elephants

Skins

Reptiles

Caviar

TOMs

Ecomessage Data IIEcomessage Data II

There were approximately 800 There were approximately 800 Ecomessages filed before 2000.Ecomessages filed before 2000.

Of these, the largest single commodity Of these, the largest single commodity was elephant ivory, figuring in about 200 was elephant ivory, figuring in about 200 EcomessagesEcomessages

Thus, the current total of Ecomessages Thus, the current total of Ecomessages should be about 1,113, of which about should be about 1,113, of which about 285 should involve elephant ivory.285 should involve elephant ivory.

Smuggling TechniquesSmuggling Techniques

70 Luggage70 Luggage 45 Freight45 Freight 22 Containers22 Containers 15 Postal and Express Delivery Mails15 Postal and Express Delivery Mails 7 Residential7 Residential 6 Concealed in vehicles6 Concealed in vehicles

Countries of Countries of Origin/ProvenanceOrigin/Provenance

IndonesiaIndonesia ChinaChina South AfricaSouth Africa TanzaniaTanzania ThailandThailand

IndiaIndia NetherlandsNetherlands MalaysiaMalaysia AfghanistanAfghanistan PeruPeru

In ten or more cases:In ten or more cases:

DestinationsDestinations

Czech RepublicCzech Republic NetherlandsNetherlands CanadaCanada RussiaRussia BelgiumBelgium

United Arab United Arab EmiratesEmirates

ItalyItaly Spain Spain USAUSA TanzaniaTanzania

Transit Countries Transit Countries

NetherlandsNetherlands GermanyGermany TurkeyTurkey ChinaChina KenyaKenya Czech RepublicCzech Republic

CAVEATS....CAVEATS....

Data presented is NOT statistically valid!Data presented is NOT statistically valid!

The Ecomessage database is still much The Ecomessage database is still much too small to be the basis of serious too small to be the basis of serious analysis analysis we need more ! we need more !

Current InitiativesCurrent Initiatives Efforts are being made to stimulate Efforts are being made to stimulate

submission of Ecomessages for both submission of Ecomessages for both pollution and wildlife offenses.pollution and wildlife offenses.

INECE is sponsoring distribution of INECE is sponsoring distribution of Ecomessage information to pollution Ecomessage information to pollution control agencies.control agencies.

IFAW is sponsoring the publishing and IFAW is sponsoring the publishing and distribution of Ecomessage information to distribution of Ecomessage information to wildlife agencies.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 AwardEcomessage Award

Wildlife OnlyWildlife Only U.S. $30,000 awardU.S. $30,000 award Presented as law enforcement training or Presented as law enforcement training or

law enforcement equipment (no cash!)law enforcement equipment (no cash!) Criteria established by Interpol’s Working Criteria established by Interpol’s Working

Group on Wildlife CrimeGroup on Wildlife Crime Presented for a CITES Intersessional Presented for a CITES Intersessional

PeriodPeriod Sponsored by IFAWSponsored by IFAW

Your Participation is Your Participation is ImportantImportant

Criminal syndicates are damaging the Criminal syndicates are damaging the biosphere for their profit.biosphere for their profit.

These syndicates can be stopped only These syndicates can be stopped only once law enforcement learns their once law enforcement learns their vulnerabilities and modes of operation.vulnerabilities and modes of operation.

These can be identified by analysis ofThese can be identified by analysis of Ecomessage Ecomessage data.data.

Thanks To:Thanks To:

Bill ClarkBill Clark InterpolInterpol ......

And!And!

Ecomessage Countries!Ecomessage Countries! AustraliaAustralia BelgiumBelgium BotswanaBotswana CanadaCanada ChileChile ColombiaColombia Czech RepublicCzech Republic DjiboutiDjibouti EgyptEgypt GermanyGermany Hong Kong, ChinaHong Kong, China IndiaIndia IsraelIsrael ItalyItaly JapanJapan KenyaKenya

NamibiaNamibia NetherlandsNetherlands New ZealandNew Zealand PeruPeru RwandaRwanda SingaporeSingapore SloveniaSlovenia South AfricaSouth Africa SwedenSweden SwitzerlandSwitzerland ThailandThailand TanzaniaTanzania UgandaUganda United KingdomUnited Kingdom United StatesUnited States ZimbabweZimbabwe