Interpol crackdown on illegal mining, logging and wildlife trafficking leads to 233 arrests

[AP Photo]

An international crackdown on environmental crime across Latin America and the Caribbean led to 233 arrests and uncovered links between large-scale Amazon deforestation and companies across several continents, the international police organization Interpol said yesterday. The two-month operation targeted illegal logging, gold mining and wildlife trafficking across nine countries, identifying some 60,000 hectares of illegally cleared forest — an area 10 times the size of Manhattan Island.

But investigators increasingly focused beyond the people cutting trees, mining gold or trafficking animals to the companies, financial networks and international buyers suspected of profiting from environmental destruction. In one investigation originating in Colombia, authorities had identified 11 foreign companies suspected of involvement in clearing more than 52,000 hectares (128,500 acres) of protected Amazon forest. Interpol said intelligence gathered during the latest operation uncovered links to another 161 companies and 65 people across several continents.

Investigators found suspected permit fraud and the alleged use of shell companies and foreign investment mechanisms, Interpol said. Colombian authorities arrested 16 people and seized digital evidence, while Interpol issued international notices seeking information or action involving suspects linked to the network.