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Overview of Serious and Organized Crime in Central Africa

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Overview of Serious and Organized Crime in Central Africa Overview of Serious and Organized Crime in Central Africa 30 September 2018 ANALYTICAL REPORT ANALYTICAL INTERPOL For official use only This project is funded by the European Union This analytical report was compiled in the framework of the European Union (EU) funded Project ENACT (Enhancing Africa’s response to transnational organized crime) and was produced with funding from the EU. The contents of this report are the responsibility of the author(s) and can no way be taken to reflect the views or position of the European Union or the ENACT partnership. Authors contribute to ENACT publications in their personal capacity. © 2018, ENACT. Copyright in the volume as a whole is vested in ENACT, its partners, the EU and the author(s), and no part may be reproduced in whole or in part without the express permission, in writing, of the author and the ENACT partnership. ENACT is implemented by the Institute for Security Studies and INTERPOL, in association with the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime. Disclaimer This publication must not be reproduced in whole or in part or in any form without special permission from the copyright holder. When the right to reproduce this publication is granted, INTERPOL would appreciate receiving a copy of any publication that uses it as a source. All reasonable precautions have been taken by INTERPOL to verify the information contained in this publication. However, the published material is being distributed without warranty of any kind, either expressed or implied. The responsibility for the interpretation and use of the material lies with the reader. In no event shall INTERPOL be liable for damages arising from its use. INTERPOL takes no responsibility for the continued accuracy of the information contained herein or for the content of any external website referenced. This report has not been formally edited. The content of this publication does not necessarily reflect the views or policies of INTERPOL, its Member Countries, its governing bodies or contributory organizations, nor does it imply any endorsement. The names shown and the designations used on any maps do not imply official endorsement or acceptance by INTERPOL. The des ignations employed and the presentation of the material in this publication do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of INTERPOL concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. © INTERPOL 2018 INTERPOL General Secretariat 200, quai Charles de Gaulle 69006 Lyon France Web: www.INTERPOL.int 2 Contents Executive Summary ...................................................................................................................... 4 Key Findings ................................................................................................................................ 5 Introduction .................................................................................................................................. 7 Scope and Methodology ................................................................................................................ 8 Analysis and Findings ................................................................................................................... 8 Criminal Organizations or networks ................................................................................................. 8 Structure and Dynamics ............................................................................................................................ 8 War Profiteering ........................................................................................................................... 9 Trafficking and Illicit Markets .........................................................................................................10 Wildlife Crimes ........................................................................................................................................ 11 Great Apes .......................................................................................................................................... 11 Pangolins ............................................................................................................................................. 11 Elephants ............................................................................................................................................ 12 Illegal Logging and Timber Trafficking .................................................................................................... 12 Precious Minerals .................................................................................................................................... 13 The Illicit Diamond Industry ................................................................................................................. 13 The Illicit Gold Industry ........................................................................................................................ 14 Drug Trafficking ....................................................................................................................................... 14 Pharmaceuticals Crimes and Counterfeited Medicine Trafficking .......................................................... 15 Human Trafficking ................................................................................................................................... 15 People Smuggling (and Illegal Migration) ............................................................................................... 17 Financial crimes ...................................................................................................................................... 18 Organized Theft and Robbery .......................................................................................................19 Stolen Motor Vehicles ............................................................................................................................. 19 Maritime Piracy ....................................................................................................................................... 20 Cattle Rustling ......................................................................................................................................... 21 Enabling Crimes and Criminal Convergences .................................................................................22 Cybercrime .............................................................................................................................................. 22 Small Arms and Light Weapons .............................................................................................................. 23 Illicit flows of money and assets .............................................................................................................. 23 Conclusion ..................................................................................................................................24 References .................................................................................................................................25 3 Executive Summary Transnational organized crime in the Central African region poses a wide range of serious threats to security both locally and globally. As a result, INTERPOL under the ENACT Project has sought to identify and assess organized crime in the region to drive a more strategic law enforcement response. International criminal organizations continue to target Central Africa because of the significant illicit wealth that can be generated. Potential criminal proceeds stem from illicit market opportunities that exploit various social and political vulnerabilities, state fragility, limited policing capacities, and corruption issues present to varying degrees throughout the region. International criminal organizations or networks operating in Central Africa rely on key facilitators who interlink crime syndicates that provide illicit goods and services throughout the region and to the rest of the world. Crime syndicates typically operate across borders and are active in a number of illicit markets, notably fraud and financial crimes, drug trafficking, environmental crimes, human trafficking as well as organized theft and robbery. In addition, there are a number of enabling crimes such as cybercrime and the trade in small arms and light weapons that support organized criminality throughout the region. These crimes overlap with all of the illicit markets noted in complex ways. Organized crime in the region generates significant profits for all those involved with substantial interregional financial flows and illicit profits heading offshore, as well as money laundering occurring on a global scale. The threat posed by organized crime to the Central African region is substantial yet there is limited capacity amongst law enforcement to manage this complex phenomenon. Although organized crime in Central Africa may go underreported and undetected in some cases, various data sources nonetheless reveal important illicit activities and dynamics of criminal groups and networks active in the region which need to be urgently addressed through strong, strategic partnerships between law enforcement agencies as well as with other concerned stakeholders. 4 Key Findings Crime syndicates are a common trans-border criminal element in the region, connected
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