Building upon the initial outcomes of the operation, Costa Rica and Venezuela in particular have increased their efforts in the fight against illegal logging, confiscating 292,000 cubic metres of wood and wood products – equivalent to 19,500 truckloads - during follow-up investigations and operations. Venezuela accounted for nearly two-thirds of the total, with 188,000 cubic metres of wood seized in a single month.
Law enforcement agencies in the two countries conducted intelligence gathering to identify locations where illegal logging was occurring, transportation routes and the criminals involved in all phases of the process. Using this intelligence, authorities carried out operations at logging camps, sawmills and transportation corridors.
Project Leaf is a consortium initiative led by INTERPOL, with the United Nations Environment Programme and with the financial support of the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation. The project supports countries in tackling illegal logging and forestry crime, which undermine attempts to implement national and international forest protection policies and sustainable forestry practices.
“Norway and the global society have invested for years in the conservation of forests to save the earth from the dangerous effects of climate change, protect biodiversity and help people who live in and depend on forests,” said Norway’s Minister for International Development, Heikki Eidsvoll Holmås.
Operation Lead participating countries: Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Guatemala, Honduras, Paraguay, Peru, and Venezuela.
