15
mid-2000s simply triggered a series of more advanced means
to launder illegally logged timber or to conduct illegal logging
under the cover of plantation development, palm oil establish-
ment, road construction, redefinition of forest classifications,
exceeding legal permit limits or obtaining illicit logging per-
mits through bribes (Amacher,
et al
. 2012).
While some success was achieved in Brazil and, temporarily,
in Indonesia with national initiatives including joint security
sweeps (Operasi Hutan Lestari (OHL) sustainable forest opera-
tion), illegal logging activity has not declined. Indeed a large
share, estimated from 40–80 per cent, of total volumes remains
illegal (Luttrel,
et al
. 2011). Traditional law enforcement efforts
limited to operations against illegal logging have been effective
in protecting some national parks, but have also changed the
nature of the illegal logging to more refined methods including
widespread collusive corruption and laundering of illegal log-
ging under fake permits, ostensible plantation establishment
and palm oil development.
Illegal logging and black trade in illegally harvested wood prod-
ucts has continued due in large part to a lack of coordinated
international law enforcement efforts to combat the organized
transnational nature of the criminal groups involved. Indeed,
law enforcement has often been associated with “guns on the
ground”, rather than full investigative operations examining tax
fraud and laundering, which are essential for combating mod-
ern illegal logging syndicates.
The purpose of this report is to provide an overview of how
illegal logging takes place and describe common methods
of how it is laundered and financed and its primary destina-
tions. The report also reviews some of the current practices
and initiatives to combat illegal logging and provides infor-
mation about how illegal logging syndicates and black wood
traders are evading many current law enforcement initiatives
and trade incentives.
Sources:WorldBank;WWF;TRAFFIC;FAO.
Illegal logging
(lower estimate)
Illegal logging
(higher estimate)
100
Thousand million US Dollars
93
30
21
Illegal wildlife
tra cking, 2005
Value of
World sheries
Annual value of illegal logging
Compared with other activities