Lyon, France - The global fight against wildlife destruction took a step forward on May 24, 2013 by signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Interpol and the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW).
The agreement between the two organizations establishes an official framework for cooperation through global and regional operations, especially in the fight against crime related to the illegal killing and trafficking of elephants, rhinos, tigers.
"This agreement with IFAW is an additional boost in the worldwide efforts to identify and dismantle criminal organizations involved in wildlife trafficking," said Interpol's executive director of police services, Jean-Michel Louboutin, signatory of the memorandum.
Interpol and IFAW have collaborated on numerous projects since 2005. Examples of this cooperation are Operation Worthy, INTERPOL's largest anti-ivory operation, and, more recently, Project Web, an investigation into the illegal online trade in ivory.
"The IFAW - INTERPOL relationship began in 2005 and continued to grow over the years, based on common objectives, trust, mutual respect and responsibility. The signing of the memorandum today is a deepening of this relationship and reflects the complementary expertise that IFAW and INTERPOL bring", added Mr. Downes.
IFAW supports Interpol through training of law enforcement officers in law enforcement at airports throughout East Africa. Developed under the Interpol project called Wisdom, the training will also aim at examining operational measures and the use of advanced investigative techniques that can be used to address the illegal trafficking of elephant ivory and other products in this area.
"The agreement with IFAW builds on our efforts to develop a more systematic approach to data collection, management and analysis for several police-led intelligence services," said David Higgins, Director of INTERPOL's Environmental Crime Programme.
Visit the INTERPOL website for more information about the projects and activities carried out.
