Meeting of Environment and Nature related Crimes Task Force

Bucharest, November 24, 2015 – The 5th Meeting of Environment and Nature related Crimes Task Force was held in Bucharest, at the SELEC Headquarters, with the participation of the SELEC Member States’ experts, representatives of the private sector and of the SELEC partners. The meeting was chaired by Mr. Romulus Nicolae Ungureanu, Director for Operations of SELEC, and by Mr. Gabor Liczkai, Hungarian Police Officer at SELEC and Manager of the Environment and Nature Related Crimes Task Force.

Mr. Ungureanu welcomed the participants and highlighted the importance of protecting the environment for humanity from unlawful deposition of waste, illegal trade of endangered species and pollution of the water.

The Co-Chairman of the Task Force meeting, Mr. Liczkai, made a review of the activities developed within the framework of the Environment and Nature related Crimes Task Force which was established in 2009, being the newest Task Force of SELEC. He mentioned the successful regional operations conducted within this timeframe, namely Orion I, Orion II and Clean Earth, and expressed the intention to enhance the activities of the Task Force and to establish and conduct more operations at regional level.

On behalf of SELEC, Ms. Manuela Nitu, Assistant Criminal Analyst,  presented the Draft Evaluation Report for Operation “Clean Earth” on counterfeit plant protection products and hazardous waste.  This Evaluation Report provides a general overview on the results of the “Clean Earth” Regional Operation initiated by the Romanian National Police and developed under SELEC umbrella within the framework of the Environment and Nature related Crimes Task Force.

All SELEC Member States depicted the current national situation in this field, the results of the developed joint investigations,  focusing their presentations on the new trends,  modus operandi, challenges encountered, and sharing with the other participants their best practices.