Authorities in Colombia tasked 100 police officers with investigating environmental crimes committed in the Andean country, the government announced on Monday. The move is part of Bogota's new strategy to fight environmental offenses like illegal mining and animal trafficking.
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In 2020, 424,000 acres of wildlife were destroyed in the state through deforestation, an increase of 8% from numbers recorded in 2019. Wildlife trafficking is also a major concern for officials - data from the police disclosed that 5,801 birds, 2,472 mammals, 11,290 reptiles, and 285,237 plant specimens were seized from offenders in 2021 alone.
"Environmental crimes don't just affect Colombia's heritage... the environment is the heritage of all humanity," Brigadier General Jesus Alejandro Barrera, a police director specializing in rural security explained to the media.
Through the new program, 50 officers will probe environmental crimes, 40 officers will collect intelligence on the cases, and the final 10 officers will scour the internet for instances of wildlife trafficking.
Additionally, Colombia's Environment Minister Carlos Correa announced the creation of a new ministry webpage that would give at-risk environmental advocates a channel to contact the government.
