A Jungle Heist: Shielding the Amazon From Organised Crime

A Jungle Heist: Shielding the Amazon from Organised Crime

The world’s largest rainforest is under assault by criminal groups. Seeking routes for drug trafficking and sites for illegal mining, these outfits are wreaking havoc on the environment and society. Governments, residents and the private sector all have roles to play in protecting the Amazon.

The Amazon is under assault from organized crime, report warns

A new report published by the International Crisis Group (ICG) identified organized crime as a major obstacle to protecting the Amazon.  Criminal organizations have expanded territorial control in Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, and Peru, with drug trafficking and illegal gold mining representing the main drivers of violence and deforestation across the region.  At the forefront of this expansion are the Indigenous communities inhabiting t…