INTERPOL Wildlife Crime Unit
Definition
The INTERPOL unit that coordinates intelligence sharing, targeted operations, and capacity building for wildlife crime across the organisation's 190-plus member countries, operating through Project Wisdom and related workstreams.
- Member countries
- 190+
- Core functions
- Intelligence sharing, targeted operations, capacity building
- Related programme
- Project Wisdom
- Prosecutorial power
- None, coordination role only
Common questions
What does its capacity building work involve?+
Training national wildlife enforcement officers and forensic laboratories in species identification, evidence handling and investigative techniques so cases stand up in domestic courts.
Does the unit prosecute wildlife crime cases?+
No. It coordinates intelligence and operational support across member states; prosecution remains entirely with national authorities under their own legislation.
Related terms
- Australia DAWE
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- Lusaka Agreement Task Force
- A permanent intergovernmental law-enforcement body based in Nairobi, established under the 1994 Lusaka Agreement, focused on wildlife crime investigations across East and...
- National Wildlife Crime Unit (NWCU)
- A UK law-enforcement unit that functions as an intelligence hub for wildlife crime across UK police forces, funded jointly by the Home...
- TRAFFIC
- The wildlife trade monitoring network, a joint program of WWF and IUCN. Publishes trade data reports on CITES-listed species including detailed plant...
- USFWS Office of Law Enforcement
- The US Fish and Wildlife Service division responsible for investigating federal wildlife crimes. Its agents enforce the Lacey Act, Endangered Species Act,...