2ND GLOBAL MEETING OF THE WILDLIFE ENFORCEMENT NETWORKS

THE ROLE OF INTERPOL REGIONAL BUREAUS IN FIGHTING ENVIRONMENTAL CRIME

Sandton Convention Center, Johannesburg, South Africa

28 – 29 September 2016
MR MUBITA NAWA
MR SOSTHENES MAKURI
INTERPOL REGIONAL BUREAUS, Harare and Nairobi
 INTRODUCTION
_______________________________________________________________

Wildlife crimes rank among

trafficking in drugs, arms
and human beings in terms
of profit
 ROLE OF INTERPOL REGIONAL BUREAUS

Regional Bureau Harare Regional Bureau Nairobi

• Advise Police Organizations within the Region on trends and

effects of the priority crimes of which environmental crime is
inclusive
• Regional Bureaus serve as coordination offices in the regions
• Monitor and ensure effective implementation of regional and
international resolutions , protocols and conventions.
• Act as secretariats to the Regional Police Chiefs Organizations
and convene regional meetings
 THE ROLE OF INTERPOL REGIONAL BUREAUS CONT.
_____________________________________________________________________

• Assess, determine legislation gaps and strengths and recommend to

the Police Chiefs
• Provide training and guidance to NCBs and specialized officers.
• Develop and maintain effective relationship with strategic partners
outside the organization

•Provide the link in investigations that transcend national borders.

•Organize, coordinate and attend regional and international meetings
•Provide Investigative support through access to INTERPOL databases
and analytical tools
 THE FOUR INTERPOL REGIONAL BUREAUS AND POLICE
CHIEFS ORGANISATIONS IN AFRICA
__________________________________________________________________
Eastern African Police chiefs Central African Police chiefs
Cooperation Organisation Cooperation Organisation

EAPCCO CAPCCO
RB Nairobi RB Yaoundé
POLICE
CHIEFS
ORGANIS-
ATIONS IN
AFRICA
SARPCCO WAPCCO
RB Abidjan
RB Harare

Southern African Police chiefs Western African Police chiefs

Cooperation Organisation Cooperation Organisation
 15 SARPCCO Member Countries

15. Seychelles

14. Madagascar
3. DRC
11. Tanzania
1. Angola 5. Malawi
6. Mauritius
13. Zimbabwe
12. Zambia
7. Mozambique
8. Namibia 9. SA
2. Botswana
4.Lesotho
10. Swaziland
13 EAPCCO Member Countries
 INTERPOL GLOBAL initiatives on
Environmental Crime

Operation Worthy

• Operation Worthy was initiated in 2012

• A regionally coordinated wildlife law enforcement operation.
• 14 member countries in Africa, targeting illegal trade in ivory and
rhino horn.
• Seizure included nearly 2 tons of contraband ivory, 20kg of rhino
horns and various other wildlife products, more than 30 illegal
firearms
• 2015 Operation worthy II targeting ivory trafficking in Africa
• 376 arrest, seizure of 4.5 tonnes of elephant ivory and rhino horn
• Investigation of 25 criminal groups involved in the illicit trade
 What Operation Worthy aims to achieve

• Dismantle the criminal networks behind environmental crime

• Globally gather information and intelligence

• Set up multi – disciplinary teams spanning environmental

crime LEA, Police, Customs etc.
• Strengthen the capacity of environmental LEA nationally and
internationally
• Mobilising political support for environmental crime
 INTERPOL Regional Bureaus MEASURES
to COMBAT Environmental Crimes
Operation Worthy II Regional Investigative and Analytical Case
Meeting (RIACM)
• A RIACM meeting is held annually, (RB Harare, 2015, RB Nairobi
2016)
• Identification of active Poaching groups in the region
• Sharing intelligence
• Provision of analytical support for specific ivory and rhino horn
cases
• Enhancing the capacity building among LEAs in member countries
• The project is Operationally focused
• Provides for dismantling of poacher networks
 RECENT SITUATION IN THE REGIONS
_________________________________________________________________
SUCCESS STORIES

ELEPHANT IVORY , ARMS SEIZURE AND ARREST OF POACHERS IN TANZANIA

Three suspects nabbed in MALAWI

SUCCESS STORIES
Kenyan national
Feisal Mohammed
was recently
sentenced to 20 yrs.
imprisonment for
trafficking in ivory
 Challenges

• Vast porous borders

• Limited Extension of I – 24/7 INTERPOL Communication
system beyond National Central Bureaus (NCBs)
• Limited Border Management Training
• Limited use of INTERPOL Tools and services
 OPPORTUNITIES FOR COOPERATION
WITH REGIONAL BUREAUS
• The RBs provide information sharing platform with member
countries through I-24/7
• Operations such as Operation USALAMA (Wildlife Crime is
among the targeted crimes). In the last operation, 666 pieces
of ivory were seized in Tanzania and six suspects arrested.
• Support Training of Law Enforcement Agencies
• Support extension of I-24/7 communication system
 THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION !

Mubita NAWA
HEAD INTERPOL, Regional Bureau, Harare
+263 712832670
m.nawa@interpol.int
Sosthenes MAKURI
Ag. HEAD INTERPOL Regional Bureau, Nairobi
s.makuri@interpol.int