Washington, March 20, 2012 – Every two seconds, an area of forest the
size of a football field is clear-cut by illegal loggers around the
globe. A new World Bank report released today shows how countries can
effectively fight illegal logging through the criminal justice system,
punish organized crime, and trace and confiscate illegal logging
profits.
The report, Justice for Forests: Improving Criminal Justice Efforts to
Combat Illegal Logging, says that to be effective, law enforcement
needs to look past low-level criminals and look at where the profits
from illegal logging go. By following the money trail, and using tools
developed in more than 170 countries to go after =dirty money,‘
criminal justice can pursue criminal organizations engaged in
large-scale illegal logging and confiscate ill-gotten gains.
The World Bank estimates that illegal logging in some countries
accounts for as much as 90 percent of all logging and generates
approximately US$10–15 billion annually in criminal proceeds. Mostly
controlled by organized crime, this money is untaxed and is used to
pay corrupt government officials at all levels. The new report
provides policy and operational recommendations for policy makers and
forestry and law enforcement actors to integrate illegal logging into
criminal justice strategies, foster international and domestic
cooperation among policy makers, law enforcement authorities and other
key stakeholders, and make better use of financial intelligence.