INTERPOL, Germany, and World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Unite Efforts to Tackle Environmental Crime

WWF Germany Chief Heike Vesper (L), German Environment Minister Steffi Lemke (C), INTERPOL Secretary General Valdecy Urquiza (R).

Environmental crime is one of the most profitable forms of criminal operations worldwide, with estimates putting it as the third most profitable criminal activity behind drug trafficking and counterfeit crimes.

From INTERPOL:

The Federal Environment Ministry of Germany, INTERPOL and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) are joining forces to combat the devastating impact of environmental crime.

With a EUR 5 million investment from the German government's International Climate Initiative (IKI), the three-year project aims to identify and prevent transnational crimes impacting the climate, biodiversity and the environment across five key areas: fisheries crime, forestry crime, illegal mining, pollution crime, and wildlife crime.

Environmental crime, which is estimated to be the third most profitable form of criminal activity worldwide, generates hundreds of billions of dollars in illegal profits each year.



Federal Environment Minister Steffi Lemke:

“Transboundary organized environmental crime exacerbates the triple planetary crisis of biodiversity loss, climate change and pollution. So it is important to me to ensure that protecting the environment goes hand in hand with combating environmental crime.

“Criminal organizations are causing massive damage to the natural foundations of our lives. For example, they kill and trade in critically endangered species, clear forests that provide key carbon reservoirs and habitats, and poison landscapes with illegally dumped waste, making them uninhabitable. By cooperating with INTERPOL and WWF, we will join forces and make a valuable contribution in the fight against transboundary environmental crime.”

INTERPOL Secretary General Valdecy Urquiza:

“Environmental crimes threaten our planet, our daily lives and the future of generations to come. From illegal logging to hazardous waste dumping, there are no borders to environmental crimes, which are uniquely destructive, with long term consequences that extend far beyond the immediate damage. This joint project with Germany and WWF will help provide real support in developing capabilities, intelligence and ultimately, operational outcomes.”




Heike Vesper, Chief Executive, Transformation and Policies at WWF Germany:

“Environmental crime is a phenomenon that has been greatly underestimated to date. Illegal deforestation, fishing and mining contribute significantly to global warming and species loss and therefore pose a massive threat to our human livelihoods. With this cooperation between the Federal Environment Ministry, INTERPOL and WWF, we are finally taking action against the activities of criminal groups, which all too often go unpunished. Destroying the environment and biodiversity for profit is not a trivial offence, but a serious crime with local and global consequences for people and nature.”




Source:

https://www.interpol.int/News-and-Events/News/2025/Tackling-Environmental-Crime-Germany-INTERPOL-and-WWF-unite-efforts