Manaus, October 6, 2023 - UNODC Brazil, in collaboration with the Amazonas Public Security Secretariat (SSP-AM), promoted the "Training to Strengthen the State Response to Forest Crimes" between September 25 and October 6, in Manaus, State of Amazonas. The initiative involved two groups of 30 participants each, with the aim of supporting ongoing efforts to respond to these crimes in Amazonas, as well as laying the foundations for future interventions.

The training was carried out as part of project CRIMFLO - Strengthening the Criminal Justice System's Response to Forest Crimes – and brought together officials from SSP-AM involved in monitoring and repressing crimes such as illegal deforestation, timber trafficking and forest fires, in order to strengthen the state institutions' detection, prevention, and repression capacity, with a focus on the southern region of Amazonas, which is amongst the areas in Brazil with the highest levels of illegal deforestation.

The initiative also had the presence and support of institutions active in environmental protection, biodiversity conservation and law enforcement related to the environment in Brazil, including the Amazon Protection System Management and Operational Center (CENSIPAM), the Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation (ICMBio), the Amazonas State Public Prosecutor's Office (MPAM), the Federal Police (PF) and the Brazilian Institute for the Environment and Renewable Natural Resources (IBAMA), which made a significant contribution to conducting the training.

During the activities, participants were able to learn more about the use of monitoring and security technologies, operations in remote areas, investigation and intelligence techniques applied to forest crimes, environmental laws and regulations, inter-institutional cooperation and the construction of administrative and criminal cases, in addition to best practices in the area.

The training was preceded by a UNODC CRIMFLO-supported course on Drone Piloting and RPAS (Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems), aimed at 20 state officials of SSP-AM. The initiative, which took place between September 18 and 22, counted on the partnership of CENSIPAM.

To learn more about UNODC's work on crimes that affect the environment, click here, and for UNODC's publications on the subject, click here.