On November 5, 2025, Interpol and its international partners rolled out an ambitious global law enforcement initiative designed to dismantle the criminal networks fueling illegal logging, timber trafficking, and gold mining—activities that have been devastating the world’s tropical forests and generating billions of dollars in illicit profits. The announcement, made just ahead of the highly anticipated U.N. COP30 climate summit in Brazil, signals a renewed and urgent commitment to tackling one of the most persistent drivers of large-scale deforestation.
According to the Associated Press, the new operation zeroes in on tropical forests in Brazil, Ecuador, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, and Peru. These regions, rich in biodiversity and critical to the planet’s ecological balance, have become hotspots for environmental crime, often orchestrated by sophisticated transnational syndicates. The stakes, as Interpol Secretary General Valdecy Urquiza put it, couldn’t be higher. “Criminals are making billions by looting the planet’s forests,” Urquiza stated. “The only way to stop them is through determined law enforcement action and strong international cooperation.”
This latest phase of the Law Enforcement Assistance Program to Reduce Tropical Deforestation (LEAP) was officially unveiled in Rio de Janeiro during the United for Wildlife Global Summit. The program is spearheaded by Interpol—the international police organization renowned for helping national authorities coordinate and share intelligence—alongside the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). Financial backing comes from Norway’s International Climate and Forest Initiative, underscoring the global recognition that illegal deforestation is not just an environmental issue, but a matter of international security and justice.
The timing of the announcement is no coincidence. Just days prior, Brazilian police, with Interpol’s support, carried out a major crackdown in the Amazon Basin. In a dramatic show of force, authorities destroyed more than 270 illegal mining dredges operating along the Madeira River. These operations, notorious for their environmental destruction and links to organized crime, have long plagued the Amazon. Officials said the raids dealt a significant blow to criminal groups connected to gold-smuggling networks stretching across Brazil, Bolivia, and Peru.
UNODC Executive Director Ghada Waly did not mince words about the gravity of the problem. Illegal deforestation, she said, “weakens the rule of law and finances organized crime,” noting that the joint initiative is designed not only to ensure offenders are held accountable, but also to strengthen justice systems and support local communities. Her remarks echo a growing consensus among environmental and law enforcement experts: unchecked environmental crime undermines social stability, fuels corruption, and deprives nations of vital natural resources.
LEAP itself is no newcomer to this fight. Since its launch in 2018, the program has evolved from simply mapping timber-trafficking routes to orchestrating complex cross-border investigations and seizing millions of dollars’ worth of illicit wood and minerals. According to AP, Interpol-led operations across Latin America have uncovered hundreds of environmental crimes. These range from the destruction of illegal gold-mining dredges in the Brazilian Amazon to dozens of arrests across nine countries for offenses related to logging and wildlife trafficking.
The new phase of LEAP marks a significant expansion of these efforts. In recent years, illegal mining has emerged as a leading cause of deforestation and mercury pollution in the Amazon Basin. The current initiative is designed to specifically target this threat, enhancing intelligence-sharing among enforcement agencies and focusing on the criminal networks that profit most from environmental destruction. The hope is that by disrupting these networks, authorities can not only slow the rate of deforestation but also address the broader social and economic harms associated with environmental crime.
For many observers, the timing of this crackdown is particularly significant. With the COP30 summit on the horizon, the world’s attention is turning to Brazil and the fate of the Amazon—a region often described as the “lungs of the planet.” The Amazon is not just a repository of biodiversity; it plays a vital role in regulating the Earth’s climate. Yet, the region has been under relentless assault from illegal logging, mining, and land-grabbing, all of which contribute to rising greenhouse gas emissions and threaten the livelihoods of indigenous and local communities.
Interpol’s approach, as outlined by Secretary General Urquiza, emphasizes the importance of international cooperation. Environmental crime, after all, rarely respects national borders. Timber and gold smuggled out of the Amazon often end up in global supply chains, making it all the more difficult to trace their origins and hold perpetrators to account. By pooling resources and intelligence, law enforcement agencies hope to close the loopholes that have allowed these crimes to flourish.
But the challenges are immense. Criminal organizations involved in illegal deforestation are often well-funded, highly organized, and adept at evading detection. They exploit gaps in enforcement, bribe officials, and use violence to intimidate those who stand in their way. Local communities, who are often on the front lines of this struggle, face threats to their safety and livelihoods. At the same time, there is a growing recognition that effective enforcement must go hand in hand with efforts to support sustainable development and provide alternative livelihoods.
The involvement of Norway’s International Climate and Forest Initiative highlights the international community’s willingness to invest in solutions. Norway has long been a leader in supporting forest conservation efforts, channeling funds to countries that demonstrate progress in reducing deforestation. By backing LEAP, Norway is betting that a combination of robust enforcement and international collaboration can make a real difference.
Looking back, the evolution of LEAP offers grounds for cautious optimism. What began as an effort to map the shadowy routes of timber trafficking has blossomed into a sophisticated, multi-country operation capable of coordinating raids, making arrests, and seizing illicit assets. The destruction of hundreds of illegal gold-mining dredges and the arrest of dozens of suspects are tangible signs of progress, even if the scale of the challenge remains daunting.
As the world prepares for COP30, the message from Interpol and its partners is clear: the fight against illegal deforestation is entering a new, more determined phase. Success will depend not only on law enforcement, but also on the willingness of governments, civil society, and the private sector to work together. The fate of the world’s tropical forests—and the communities who depend on them—hangs in the balance.
In a world where environmental crime often slips beneath the radar, the latest moves by Interpol and its allies serve as a stark reminder: the battle for the planet’s forests is far from over, but it’s one the world can’t afford to lose.
