The Civil Guard leads a coordinated operation at European level against illegal timber trafficking
The operation "Quercus" has proceeded to the arrest / investigation of 71 people, as well as the filing of a total of 303 complaints for administrative infractions and the seizure of more than 13,000 m3 of wood
A tool developed by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and the Ministry for Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge in collaboration with the Higher Technical School of Forestry, Forestry and Forestry Engineering has been fundamental for this operation of the Civil Guard Seprona. of the Natural Environment and Technical School of Forest Engineering and the Natural Environment, which allows a first in situ identification of the wood species traded
This allows, where appropriate, inspectors and authorities to activate early warning and immobilize merchandise.
The Civil Guard SEPRONA, in coordination with EUROPOL and INTERPOL, has successfully completed the Quercus operation, a high-intensity operation aimed at combating illegal timber trafficking. This is the first operation of these characteristics carried out in Spain, which has been possible thanks to the coordination with the national and regional authorities and that has had a fundamental tool, a novel methodology for the identification of the wood species trafficked .
The Quercus operation, developed at the end of the year 2019, has resulted in various investigations for trafficking in protected timber species, documentary falsification or contraband that have resulted in the arrest or investigation of 71 people. In total, 608 actions have been carried out in different stores and facilities dedicated to the import and export of wood, furniture manufacturing, sawmills, manufacturing and distribution of parquets, manufacture of musical instruments or wooden pallets.
Likewise, 303 complaints have been filed for different infractions, highlighting 215 violations of Montes Law 43/2003, which establishes the main infractions related to the commercialization of wood, of which 76 were due to the non-presentation of the declaration. responsible to which all wood importers are obliged, and 82 others lacked a due diligence system to analyze and minimize opportunities to import illegal wood.
highlighting how a total of 215 have been during the inspections carried out in two companies of the wood sector located in the north of Spain, wood of the species Palosanto (Bursera graveolens) and Granadillo (Dalbergia spp.), illegally imported from from Brazil and the African continent, for breaching different regulations (European regulations and / or international conventions) that regulate their traffic. Some of these species are strictly protected by the Convention on International Traffic in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), which regulates their international traffic because they are in a situation of threat. Therefore, they were immobilized, initiating investigations that are still ongoing.
This operation has strengthened the application of European regulations on trade in wood, to prevent the commercialization of those obtained illegally or that do not comply with legal requirements and ensure traceability from the countries of origin. It is worth highlighting the joint effort carried out between the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food together with the Autonomous Communities in their role as Competent Authorities in the application of the European Union Timber Regulation (EUTR), the main standard which regulates the timber trade in the European Union.
Hot spot in the illegal tropical timber traffic
Due to its geographical location, Spain is a hot spot in the international illegal traffic of tropical timber. For this reason, the Ministry for Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge (MITERD) has been working for some time on the development of in situ identification tools for wood included in the CITES Convention, thus helping to combat international networks of traffickers.
In this regard, MITERD, in collaboration with the Higher Technical School of Forestry, Forestry and Natural Environment Engineering of the Polytechnic University of Madrid, has designed a methodology that allows preliminary discrimination on the ground, and by non-specialized personnel, of tree species of commercial interest for their wood and protected by the CITES Convention.
A revolutionary tool
This tool consists of a macroscopic guide for early warning of woods, which includes the anatomical and structural characteristics of the wood of the main timber species protected by the CITES agreement, and is accompanied by a kit with tools for obtaining wood samples -which will then be sent to a specialized laboratory that supports the identification- and two magnifiers (24 and 400 magnifications) that can be attached to the mobile phone's camera.
This system allows agents to carry out an inspection and detection of fraud on the ground, providing them with greater security in the complex task of identifying exotic woods, enabling early warning to be activated and, for example, allowing a shipment of a species to be immobilized. of wood whose examination does not correspond to the documentation provided.
For the correct handling of this new tool and as a previous step to the development of the Quercus operation, in recent months, MITERD and the Higher Technical School of Forestry, Forestry and Natural Environment Engineering of the Polytechnic University of Madrid, with the In collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, MAP, they have given courses to 56 SEPRONA agents for the practical application of this macroscopic wooden anatomy guide.
Example of international cooperation
Currently there are different routes in which the illicit timber trade is concentrated, being the regions most affected by illegal logging in Latin America and Africa. As regards wood protected by the CITES Convention, its main destination is in Asia, although a part reaches the United States and Europe. However, the majority of timber traffic in the world occurs on species not protected by international conventions, although they are still subject to illegal traffic to Europe or the United States.
The development of this type of operations requires a fluid exchange of information, which allows to know the traceability of the wood in the countries of origin to detect the possible irregularities derived from its illegal obtaining. In the course of Operation Quercus, information has been obtained from countries such as Brazil, and the participation of Portugal, Italy and Romania, among other European countries, has been achieved through the European initiative EMPACT (European Multidisciplinary Platform against Criminal Threats) of the Environment.
For more information you can contact the SEPRONA of the Civil Guard, at 91.514.6900. ext. 6547221 and 608.251.069.
