In a significant move to combat environmental crime, Interpol and its partners have launched a global initiative aimed at dismantling criminal networks involved in illegal logging, timber trafficking, and gold mining. These activities are major contributors to large-scale deforestation and generate billions in illicit profits annually. The announcement was made ahead of the upcoming U.N. COP30 climate summit in Brazil, with a focus on tropical forests in Brazil, Ecuador, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, and Peru. Interpol Secretary General Valdecy Urquiza emphasized the need for determined law enforcement and international cooperation to stop these criminals. The initiative, part of the Law Enforcement Assistance Program to Reduce Tropical Deforestation (LEAP), was unveiled during the United for Wildlife Global Summit in Rio de Janeiro. It is a collaborative effort between Interpol and the U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime, funded by Norway’s International Climate and Forest Initiative. This latest phase of LEAP builds on previous successes, including a recent crackdown in the Amazon Basin where Brazilian police, supported by Interpol, destroyed over 270 illegal mining dredges on the Madeira River. UNODC Executive Director Ghada Waly highlighted the broader impact of illegal deforestation, stating that it undermines the rule of law and finances organized crime. The joint initiative aims to hold offenders accountable while supporting justice systems and local communities. Since its inception in 2018, LEAP has evolved from mapping timber-trafficking routes to coordinating cross-border investigations and seizing millions of dollars in illicit wood and minerals. The new phase will expand efforts to target illegal mining in the Amazon Basin, a leading cause of deforestation and mercury pollution, and enhance intelligence-sharing among enforcement agencies.