Authorities in Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru carried out more than 1,000 field actions during a two-week operation against environmental crime, the Associated Press reported. Officials recorded 839 arrests and valued seized goods at more than US$280 million.
Environmental crime is also a financial-crime problem. Illegal gold, timber and wildlife depend on transport, brokers, false documentation and payment channels that can overlap with other transnational criminal markets.
The operation involved more than 3,600 officers and focused on remote border and river areas. Follow-on financial investigations will be important to identify organisers, asset owners and companies that may benefit from the physical offences.