Organized crime targets e-waste, wildlife

There’s an ominous turn for the green movement in Canada. Organized crime is now muscling in on the territory in a bid to make money.
Crime networks have developed underground markets for electronic waste and rare wildlife, according to a report released by Criminal Intelligence Service Canada.
Criminals are using such markets to complement traditional revenue sources, such as drug smuggling and trafficking.
“Criminal networks can profit by collecting e-waste in developed countries such as Canada and selling it to ‘recyclers’ in developing nations,” the CISC report reads.
Illegal poaching an exploitation of natural resources is also a growing target for organized crime.
“Canadian forests are vulnerable to illegal harvesting due to their relative abundance, isolation, and the large number of logging access roads,” the report says.
The Canadian Press reported that Canada’s vast wilderness is an easy target for groups looking to take advantage of skyrocketing prices on the black market for rare animals.
“The illegal trade in wildlife can be as profitable as dealing in narcotics,” the United Nations Environment Programme stated earlier this year.