Environmental crime Wildlife crime Pollution crime Other environmental crime types Environmental Crime Committee Conferences and meetings News Manuals, publications and resources Ecomessage Partners and acknowledgements Restricted website Links Environmental crime

The Environmental Crime Programme has produced a number of publications, both public and restricted in order to provide information on the Programme and raise awareness of our activities. These include our regular newsletter, general resources regarding environmental crimes, and law enforcement manuals and guides.

Information and awareness raising

These materials are freely available to download.

• Strategic Plan

The Strategic Plan was developed to give the Environmental Crime Programme direction and purpose in carrying out its mission.

Strategic plan     (Acrobat file )

• The Environmental Crime Programme Newsletter

The Programme’s Newsletter is released three times a year, every March, July and November, and contains important news, information on our activities and operations, and future plans.

		Issue 03 (Acrobat file )
		Issue 02 (Acrobat file )
		Issue 01 (Acrobat file )

• Brochure and posters

The Programme’s brochure and posters were designed and produced by Viv-id, a British company based in Manchester (www.viv-id.co.uk), and were generously funded by the UK Environment Agency.

Environmental Crime, It’s Global Theft       (Acrobat file )

Environmental criminals, their prints are on your planet  (Acrobat file )

Don't let your planet become a crime scene (Acrobat file )

• Fact sheet

The Programme’s fact sheet is a brief, two-sided summary of the Programme’s mission, activities and past successes.

Environmental Crime      (Acrobat file )

Manuals and reports

The Programme is actively engaged in producing international enforcement manuals and guides, in line with INTERPOL’s core function of providing police training and development. Two such manuals have been published with others currently in production. These manuals are available to law enforcement officers and government officials only, with the exception of the report Electronic Waste and Organized Crime: Assessing the Links, which is publicly accessible.
Apply for restricted access

Illegal Oil Discharges from Vessels (2007)      (Acrobat file

In response to a request from member countries, INTERPOL compiled the Investigative Manual for Illegal Oil Discharges from Vessels. This tool enables investigators to pull together stronger cases for criminal prosecution, with the aim of making individuals and corporations accountable for their actions. The ultimate goal is to impose adequate deterrents to prevent future violations, thus protecting a resource that is essential to global commerce and citizens’ livelihoods and recreation.

Controlled Deliveries – A Technique for Investigating Wildlife Crime (2008)      (Acrobat file )

This manual was produced in collaboration with the CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) Secretariat.
A controlled delivery is a tool used by law enforcement agencies to identify persons connected with criminal activities and to gather evidence against them. This manual is primarily designed as a briefing paper for wildlife enforcement agencies that may not have used the techniques of controlled deliveries before.

Electronic Waste and Organized Crime: Assessing the Links (2009) (Acrobat file )

Electronic waste (e-waste) is the collective term for all the pre-owned products such as computers and televisions discarded by our modern consumer society. Due to stringent regulations in the European Union and Americas, these products are often shipped to other countries in order to avoid expensive recycling and disposal costs. If handled inappropriately, e-waste can release poisonous or hazardous materials into the environment or water supplies. This report represents a milestone in INTERPOL’s efforts to develop global and multi-sector responses to the many issues surrounding the illegal e-waste trade and the levels of criminal organization behind them.

Additional environmental crime resources

The INTERPOL Wildlife and Pollution Crime Working Groups have produced a number of documents of use to those concerned by environmental crime, including law enforcement agencies and prosecution services.

Pollution crime resources

• Ship Pollution Prosecution Database (Excel file )

The Ship Pollution Prosecution Database contains information on completed prosecutions by various countries for the period 2001 to 2006. Further information on particular cases can be obtained from the contacts provided in the database. This public information is provided to assist countries in targeting enforcement efforts and also to publicize those ships and shipping companies that violate pollution laws. This task has been co-ordinated by Project Clean Seas and will be updated as more information becomes available.

• INTERPOL Pollution Crimes Working Group – Assessing the Links between Organized Crime and Pollution Crimes (2006) (Acrobat file )

Environmental crime offers the potential for huge profits. And where there are profits to be made, there is always the concern that organized crime is involved, as already documented in Italy and possibly other countries. INTERPOL has formed a specialized working group to examine the links between environmental crimes and other types of organized criminal activity.

• Advocacy Memorandum – Arguments for Prosecutors of Environmental crimes (2007)  (Acrobat file )
  Cover Letter for the Advocacy Memorandum (Acrobat file )

This is a tool to be used by prosecutors during sentencing for environmental offences to support more appropriate penalties. This information could also be used to assist agencies in trying to persuade their national legislative bodies to increase maximum fines as well. The advocacy memorandum was presented at the INTERPOL Pollution Crime Working Group Meeting 2007 in Lyon.

• Ship pollution cases
  This table details recent cases involving pollution from ships, which may be of use to investigators and prosecutors.