Bogota, Oct 8:
An international Interpol-led crackdown on environmental crimes across nine Latin American and Caribbean countries has resulted in 233 arrests, the recovery of more than 1,000 live animals and the identification of 60,000 hectares of illegally cleared forest.
Operation Madre Tierra VIII, conducted from June 1 to July 31 in Colombia, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua and Panama, targeted illegal logging, gold mining and wildlife trafficking and involved more than 330 cases. Investigators also uncovered links between environmental crime networks and companies and individuals across several continents.
In Colombia, authorities arrested 16 people after an investigation into the suspected clearing of more than 52,000 hectares of protected Amazon forest and identified links to another 161 companies and 65 individuals.
Costa Rican authorities seized about 4.6 tonnes of cyanide and 11 containers of mercury used in illegal gold extraction, while wildlife seizures included Bengal tigers, lions, jaguars, ocelots, parrots and macaws. Authorities also seized 165 kg of dried shark fins estimated to be worth $280,000.
Interpol said the operation highlighted the growing links between environmental crime, organised criminal networks and international financial and commercial networks.