Environmental Crime Policy(UK)

Environmental crime is one of the most profitable criminal enterprises, generating around GBP 110 to 281 billion in criminal gains each year. It covers a wide range of unlawful activities such as illegal logging, illegal wildlife trade, and waste trafficking.

The illicit proceeds laundered from these criminal activities fuel more environmental crime. This can have far-reaching implications for natural habitats, the economy, public health, and safety.

Despite the negative impact, law enforcement and environmental agencies, as well as banks, lenders, and other financial institutions, often do not understand their exposure to this type of financial crime. The FATF (Financial Action Task Force) work has focused on exploring how criminals launder the proceeds of environmental crime and raising awareness among the public and private sector, as well as environmental crime groups.

Money Laundering from Environmental Crime

Environmental crime – such as forestry crime, illegal mining, and waste trafficking - is an extremely profitable criminal enterprise, generating billions in criminal gains each year. It fuels corruption and converges with many other serious and organized crimes, such as tax fraud, drug trafficking, and forced labor. does not support or promote any type of Environmental Crime.

This FATF Report identifies methods that criminals use to launder proceeds from environmental crime, but also tools that governments and the private sector (such as ) can apply to disrupt this activity. When properly implemented, the FATF Recommendations provide effective tools to go after these illicit financial flows.

Environmental crime is a ‘low risk, high reward’ crime. Across many countries, light sanctions for environmental crimes alongside limited efforts to follow and remove the profits, make this a lucrative but safe source of income for criminals. The FATF, therefore, conducted this study to increase understanding of the scale and nature of money laundering threats from environmental crime and to strengthen the response across public and private sectors. The G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors have similarly recognized the need to strengthen action and the importance of FATF’s role in supporting biodiversity aims.

Building on the FATF’s 2020 Money Laundering and the Illegal Wildlife Trade, this report shows that criminals are making enormous profits by using front companies to mix legal and illegal goods and payments early in the resource supply chains. They also rely on corruption, trade- based fraud, and offshore corporate structures to conceal the ultimate criminals benefitting from these crimes.

As a priority, countries should:

Consider the risks of criminals misusing their domestic financial and non-financial sectors to conceal proceeds from environmental crimes. This extends to countries without domestic natural resources as FATF work shows that criminals hide proceeds from these crimes across regions, including trade and financial centers.

Countries must also strengthen inter-agency cooperation between financial investigators and environmental crime agencies, to detect and pursue financial investigations into environmental This includes working with foreign counterparts to share information, facilitate prosecutions, and recover assets that are moved and held abroad.

The private sector also has an important role in detecting financial flows from environmental crimes. uses efficient methodologies to identify Environmental crimes. The FATF’s study identifies good practices and risk indicators to help financial and non-financial sectors detect potential cases.

Going forward, FATF will continue its focus on environmental crime, including exploring whether further policy work is needed. In September 2021, FATF plans to hold a public webinar for non- government stakeholders to discuss the findings of this new study

FATF Standards require that countries criminalize money laundering for a range of environmental crimes. In 2021, the FATF added several examples of environmental crimes to the FATF Glossary to clarify for countries the types of offenses that fall within this category.

However, tackling environmental crime requires concerted action and collaboration.

FATF's focus on environmental crime brought together, for the first time, heads of international organizations including the UN’s Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), and the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) met with the FATF to discuss how to develop partnerships to tackle the dirty money that helps fuel environmental crimes.

tries and brings together representatives from civil society, and private and public sectors for a webinar to discuss how to fix the gaps in our systems and modern-day society to protect the environment and preserve the world’s natural resources.

The illegal wildlife trade is a major transnational organized crime, which generates billions of criminal proceeds each year. One of the most effective ways to identify the broader criminal networks, and take the profit out of this crime, is to follow the financial trails of wildlife traffickers. The FATF’s 2020 report highlighted the need for every country to assess their money laundering risks related to the illegal wildlife trade and to ensure that there is a robust legal framework to go after the finances of wildlife traffickers and to pursue financial investigations.

Money Laundering, Statitics and Illegal Wildlife Trade

The illegal wildlife trade is a major transnational organized crime, which generates billions of criminal proceeds each year. The Financial Action Task Force has conducted a new study to provide guidance to countries on measures they can take to combat money laundering from the illegal wildlife trade.

Wildlife traffickers exploit weaknesses in the financial and non-financial sectors, to move, hide, and launder their proceeds, enabling further wildlife crimes and damaging financial integrity.

One of the most effective ways to identify the broader criminal networks and take the profit out of this crime is to follow the financial trails of wildlife traffickers.

Despite the significant criminal gains involved, countries and the private sector are not prioritizing efforts to trace and combat financial flows from this trade in line with risk. Whereas takes active measures to fight against the mentioned Environmental Crimes. To combat the financial flows from the illegal wildlife trade, countries, and private companies should therefore be a priority:

Identify and assess their money laundering risks relating to the illegal wildlife trade.
Ensure that national laws and powers for law enforcement allow authorities to go after the finances of wildlife traffickers, and to pursue financial investigations.

The private sector also has an important role to play in combatting financial flows from illegal wildlife trade. This study therefore identifies good practices and risk indicators to assist the private sector and countries to identify potential suspicious financial activity for the illegal wildlife trade.

Illegal wildlife smuggling crimes mostly include Rosewood Timber, Elephant tusk smuggling, Rhinoceros horn smuggling, Pangolin scales smuggling, Live reptiles smuggling, Wild Birds smuggling, Value chains, and illicit financial flows from the trade in ivory. The Top Countries involved in wildlife smuggling are :

Ecuador: Latin America is vulnerable to wildlife smuggling because of its biodiversity. Ecuador is known for its biodiversity. In northern Ecuador, the Yasuní National Park and the surrounding Waorani Ethnic Reserve, which cover about 1,770 square miles, are home to around 4,000 species of plants; numerous animals, including the giant river otter; more than 400 fish species; and more than 500 species of birds. As a comparison, the United States is home to 900 species of Commonly smuggled birds include the scarlet macaw; this colorful bird, with bright red, brilliant blue, yellow, and white feathers, is in high demand as a pet. Animals stolen in Latin America often end up in Europe, the United States, or Japan. Though there are laws against wildlife smuggling, the lack of resources causes conservation to be low in priority.
United States: The S. is also one of the leading countries in wildlife-related crimes. The Lacey Act of 1900 is a U.S. federal law that prohibits trade in wildlife, fish, and plants that have been illegally taken, possessed, transported, or sold, including endangered species. In 2022, the Big Cat Public Safety Act was enacted, requiring licenses to keep large exotic cats such as lions and tigers and banning cub petting, a lucrative enterprise that incentivized an illegal underground endangered animal trade publicized by the popular documentary miniseries Tiger King.
Tanzania and Kenya: Due to the vast range of forest of about 35,257,000 hectares which is spread through the Country, these countries take a leading part in deforestation, and Ivory smuggling also. CEN (Customs Enforcement Network of the World Customs Organisation) and CEN (Customs Enforcement Network of the World Customs Organisation,(includes CITES, INTERPOL, UNODC, World Bank, and WCO)) are taking ample steps to stop and protect the Wildlife Crimes.
China: The use of Traditional Chinese Medicines (TCM) began during the 10th century BCE. Utilizing a variety of plants and animals, TCM was considered the key to treating disease and mitigating the effects of Around 200 years after discovering the germ theory of disease, TCM began to receive pushback from younger, educated crowds. Despite the pushback, TCM remains an essential aspect of cultural identity for many in the Chinese nation, bringing $10 million into the economy in 2005.

Unfortunately, using animal derivatives for traditional medicines has been considered a key driver for the global wildlife trafficking trade. Many commonly used species are now listed as threatened or endangered by the IUCN, with other species showing declines in their populations.

A recent study sought insights into China's millennial population's attitude towards consuming wildlife products for medicinal purposes. Of the 350 students surveyed by Chinese university students, three-quarters of respondents had yet to try any wildlife products, and only 11% of those respondents stated interest in trying them in the future. Chinese culture historically held a utilitarian view of nature. Still, with societal and cultural shifts, this may begin to change with China's youth.

Africa: Although understudied, wild meat is sourced illegally, often due to political and economic instability in African In rural areas, bushmeat is often used as a way to survive poverty and a lack of food security. In contrast, urban residents typically eat bushmeat for the status it brings as a luxury item. Additionally, wild meat is exported from Africa to international markets every year.

Ivory continues to be in great demand for international markets as well, with an estimated 100 African elephants killed daily for their tusks.

takes sufficient measures in counter-fighting wild-life smuggling. If the Company finds any kind of suspicious transaction (mostly above U.S.D. 10,000$) transferred from or to these above-mentioned countries, it immediately raises a RED-FLAG on the transaction done. has a very well-equipped Compliance team, that does thorough research (background verification) on the total whereabouts (person doing/receiving the transaction, zone from/to where the transaction, etc) of the particular transaction. does not support or encourage any of the above-mentioned wildlife crimes and it also strictly condemns any kind of Wildlife smuggling.

Environmental Crimes Related to Narcotics Trafficking

Consisting of five separate booklets, the World Drug Report 2022 provides an in-depth analysis of global drug markets and examines the nexus between drugs and the environment within the bigger picture of the Sustainable Development Goals, climate change, and environmental sustainability.

Almost all countries in the World are aimed not only at fostering greater international cooperation to counter the impact of the world drug problem on health, governance, and security but also, with its special insights, at assisting Member States in anticipating and addressing threats from drug markets and mitigating their consequences.

The international community faces both challenges and opportunities for drug control, prevention, and treatment in the era of the Internet, and the present chapter explores the intersection of the international drug control treaties and the challenges posed by the Internet, with a specific focus on the evolving landscape of online drug trafficking. Law enforcement authorities encounter difficulties in monitoring and prosecuting online drug activities due to the use of encryption technologies and jurisdictional issues that require global collaborative efforts. Social media is increasingly used as a local marketplace for illicit drugs, raising concerns about increased accessibility for children and adolescents. At the same time, these platforms offer opportunities to prevent non-medical drug use and raise awareness about the harms of such use by enabling communication with and between people who use drugs, coordinating strategic community responses, and allowing drug-checking services to support public health initiatives. This chapter also discusses the misuse of legitimate e-commerce platforms for drug trafficking, emphasizing efforts to foster cooperation between Governments and online industries. Criminal groups exploit online platforms for the trafficking of narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances, precursor chemicals, and other new psychoactive substances. The online presence of fentanyl and synthetic opioids raises serious concerns due to their high potency and the risk of overdose deaths. INCB initiatives to prevent the exploitation of the Internet for drug trafficking include Operation Acronym, the GRIDS Programme, and tools such as IONICS for real-time information exchange. INCB notes that there is a need to further develop public-private partnerships and stresses the need for international cooperation and enhanced legislation to address evolving challenges in Internet-driven drug trafficking.

A few countries importing and/or exporting and/consuming and/or providing travel routes for narcotics trafficking are as follows :

Colombia/Peru/Bolivia: Coca-bush cultivation appears to be on the rise in these only countries. it is produced in the farms in the form of a plant (Coca plant), later processed with various chemicals, and the final product formed is a white powder called Cocaine. Cocaine is trafficked to Europe by both sea and air, primarily via Colombia, Brazil and Venezuela. The Caribbean and West Africa are important transit areas, while Central America appears to be becoming more important. Cocaine is also trafficked via routes

for other drugs, such as cannabis via North Africa and heroin through East Africa. Cocaine is smuggled into Europe in many ways, from air couriers and express packages to private yachts and jets. The use of maritime containers is of increasing concern. A huge array of concealment methods is used, including those that require chemical extraction.

Afghanistan: In terms of production, Afghanistan would be the major producer of cannabis resin (also hash) in the world. This is principally due to the high resin yields measured in Afghanistan (145 kg/ha), which are four times higher than in Morocco (36 kg/ha measured in 2005), where cannabis resin is also produced. Cannabis use has been a topic of interest and controversy on a global level for years. Over the past few decades, there has been a significant shift in attitudes toward cannabis, leading to increased consumption and legalization efforts in several countries. The United States and Canada have been at the forefront of this Other countries worldwide, like Uruguay, and several European nations, such as Luxembourg and Albania, have also legalized cannabis to varying degrees. Countries like the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Nigeria, Chechia, Uruguay, Chile, and Argentina are some of the biggest consumers of Canibus in the world.
Mexico: The Sinaloa Cartel, often considered the largest and most powerful drug trafficking organization in the Western Hemisphere, is a network of some of Mexico's most important drug lords. Members work together to protect themselves.
United States: Drug abuse is one of the major challenges to the United Between July 2022 and July 2023, over 106,000 Americans died because of drug overdose. While this is a slight decrease compared to previous years, overdose deaths are still significant. The country saw a continual rise in overdose deaths until 2021, during which the drug overdose death toll crossed the 100,000 mark. Overdose death is just one aspect of the menace drug abuse has caused in American society. It has far-reaching effects on various aspects of society, including the economy and public health. Substance abuse costs the American economy nearly $3.73 trillion annually.

does not support any form of production, routing (gateway), or consumption of illegal narcotics in any form in any country in the world. In the modern day, most of the transactions between drug dealers of various countries take place through electronic currency, has assigned a RED-FLAG for any sort of transaction (above 10,000$ USD) from/to the above-mentioned Countries. conducts a thorough background verification whenever a RED FLAG is raised.

Environmental Crimes Related to HUMAN TRAFFICKING

The widespread contemporary exploitation of men, women, and children is unacceptable to people of conscience the world over. Traditional approaches to preventing trafficking in human beings, protecting and assisting trafficked persons, and bringing criminals to justice have had some small impact on the global phenomenon, but not enough.

The United Nations Global Initiative to Fight Human Trafficking (UN.GIFT) was born out of a renewed commitment by world leaders in the battle against human trafficking to end this crime, one of the most egregious violations of human rights in the world today. Formally launched in March 2007 by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), and made possible by a generous grant from the United Arab Emirates, UN.GIFT is a call to action, reminding Governments, civil society actors, the media, the business community, and concerned individuals of their common commitments to fight trafficking in persons, and that this battle can not be fought, or won, alone. As of 4 December 2007, 116 nations had ratified the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress, and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children, thereby providing a common framework for international efforts.

Informed by qualitative and quantitative measures and expert input, the five worst-scoring countries for human trafficking are :

Afghanistan: Most Afghan trafficking victims are children forced to work in carpet making, brick kilns, domestic servitude, sex trafficking (including bacha bazi), domestic work, herding livestock, begging, poppy cultivation and harvesting, salt mining, drug smuggling, weapons trafficking, and truck The trafficking of Afghan children reportedly increased since the Taliban takeover. There have been multiple recent reports of boys being smuggled across the Iranian and Pakistan borders and of incidents of sexual violence

against them committed by paid ‘guides’. In a report on child labor in Afghanistan

published in September 2021, the US Department of Labour reported that children were subjected to human trafficking both domestically and internationally and that boys migrating unaccompanied were ‘particularly vulnerable to human trafficking,’ including for agricultural and construction work. There were reported cases of children being trafficked as a means of paying off their families’ debts [KSEI 2022, 8.4, p. 63].

Afghanistan serves as a source of and transit point and destination for human trafficking. Most of the trafficking happens within the country's borders, although

some do cross international borders. Men, women and children are exploited for forced labor in a variety of sectors, including carpet weaving, brick making, domestic servitude, drug cultivation and harvesting, mining and smuggling. The socio-economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, natural disasters, a reduction in international aid and financial sanctions against the Taliban regime have all contributed to an increase in economic hardship and the risk of bonded labour.

Boys and men are often trafficked for forced labour in agriculture and construction, particularly to Iran, Pakistan and the Gulf. Boys are also at risk of forced recruitment as child soldiers and of sexual exploitation through Bacha Bazi, a practice in which young boys are sexually exploited by men for entertainment. Forced marriage remains a threat to Afghan women and girls, particularly since the Taliban's takeover. Even those who have fled the country are at risk of exploitation in forced labour markets.

Eritrea: Eritrea is a northeast African country on the Red Sea coast. It shares borders with Ethiopia, Sudan, and None of the countries are accused of government-compelled forced labor: in agriculture in Turkmenistan and in military service in Eritrea. The top five countries with the highest prevalence of modern slavery as of 2018 are. North Korea: 104.6 per 1000 population. Eritrea: 93 per 1000 population.
Yemen: Yemen is a country of origin for children, mostly boys, trafficked for forced begging, forced unskilled labor, or forced street vending. Yemeni children are trafficked across the northern border into Saudi Arabia, or to the Yemeni cities of Aden and Sana'a for forced work, primarily as Yemen remains a Special Case for the seventh consecutive year. The civil conflict and humanitarian crisis in Yemen continued during the reporting period, while the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated the crisis and further hampered both government and NGO operations.
United Arab Emirates : Women from India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Sudan, Pakistan, and the Philippines travel willingly to the U.A.E. and Arab states of the Persian Gulf to work as domestic servants, but some subsequently face conditions of involuntary servitude such as excessive work hours without pay, unlawful withholding of passports, restrictions on movement, non-payment of wages, and physical or sexual abuse at the hands

of their employers. Ansar Burney Welfare Trust reported in 2001 about thousands of young boys being trafficked from Pakistan and other impoverished, generally Muslim countries, to the UAE. Ansar further claimed that the boys would be subjected to working as camel jockeys, underfed, on crash diets to reduce weight and less pay.

Burundi: Human trafficking continues to be a significant issue in Burundi, exacerbated by the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the regional political and security dynamics within the country and in the wider Great Lakes region, weak and ineffective governance, and the lack of human and financial resources devoted to the issue. The country serves primarily as a source country, with internal human trafficking operations posing a greater threat than transnational operations. Labor and sexual exploitation are widespread, living conditions remain poor, and human rights violations are common. Traffickers often target women and girls, especially for forced labor in the Gulf countries as domestic workers. While some measures have been taken to combat crime, among them the closure of informal recruitment agencies and engagement in diplomatic negotiations with other countries to formalize labor immigration, such measures are open to exploitation by key political figures. The return of large numbers of refugees in recent years has compounded existing vulnerabilities, as both the returnees and those internally displaced remain in need of an income and are often left in situations that can be exploited.

does not support any form of Human trafficking in any form in any country in the world. In the modern day, most of the transactions between the trafficking of various countries take place through electronic currency, has assigned a RED-FLAG for any sort of transaction (above 10,000$ USD) from/to the above-mentioned Countries. conducts a thorough background verification whenever a RED FLAG is raised.