A/HRC/35/33 with investigating wildlife crime, conducts its own intelligence gathering and undertakes joint investigations and enforcement operations in the territories of States parties. The Task Force helped launch — and is an implementing agency for — the independent Wildlife Enforcement Monitoring System project, which provides a secure, web-based platform for information sharing on unlawful trade and analyses reported data to detect trading routes. 66. Regional wildlife enforcement networks facilitate cooperation through capacitybuilding, ensuring communication between agencies and synchronizing operations. Examples include the ASEAN network, Central African Forests Commission, Central American network, Horn of Africa network, North America Wildlife Enforcement Group, South American network and South Asian network. States are encouraged to join wildlife enforcement networks in their region or create a regional network if one does not exist. 67. Several of these wildlife enforcement networks, along with the Lusaka Agreement Task Force, World Customs Organization, INTERPOL and other organizations, have worked together on a number of massive joint operations to stop wildlife crime. One of these, named Operation COBRA III, was the biggest ever coordinated international law enforcement operation targeting the illegal trade in endangered species. 54 It involved the cooperation of 62 countries across Africa, America, Asia and Europe. Utilizing the communication system of the World Customs Organization to exchange intelligence, the operation led to hundreds of arrests and the seizure of tens of thousands of illegal wildlife items. 68. INTERPOL Operation Stingray II is another good example of State cooperation. The operation focused primarily on the illicit fishing activity in the Southern Ocean of six vessels that had been believed to be operating in a network to catch high-value fish illegally and ship them to North American and European markets through a complex chain of countries. Forty-nine States, as well as civil society organizations, were involved in the operation, exchanging information to track the ships and coordinating on how to investigate the owners and operators behind them. With the support of an INTERPOL investigative support team, prosecutors in Sao Tome and Principe secured the conviction of three crew members. 55 The operation also led to criminal investigations and prosecutions being brought against companies and individuals in at least seven other countries. In Spain alone, nine companies faced a range of sanctions, including fines totalling more than €17 million.56 69. In the area of illegal logging, the INTERPOL-led Operation Amazonas was successful in targeting criminal groups linked to illegal logging in Peru, involving the cooperation of Brazil, China, the Dominican Republic, Mexico and Peru. Coordinated border inspections and intelligence exchange led to the uncovering of violations by individuals and companies and the seizure of over $20 million worth of wood. The success of the operation led to a subsequent investigation (Amazonas II) covering Central and South America, with the cooperation of 12 Latin American countries. That subsequent operation resulted in hundreds of arrests and the seizure of over $45 million worth of timber.57 70. The above cases emphasize the importance of utilizing networks to cooperate in cross-border cases. Highly successful operations have been conducted when international and regional organizations coordinate with each other and with domestic authorities and civil society. By using the wide range of tools provided by those networks, including onthe-ground training and information exchange platforms, many economic actors have been caught and prosecuted for engaging in cross-border misconduct. 54 55 56 57 See Europol, “Europol Supports Largest Ever Coordinated Operation Against Wildlife Crime” (18 June 2015). Available from www.europol.europa.eu/newsroom/news/europol-supports-largest-evercoordinated-operation-against-wildlife-crime. See INTERPOL, “INTERPOL-supported illegal fishing investigations lead to prosecution” (13 October 2015). Available from www.interpol.int/News-and-media/News/2015/N2015-160. See www.fish-i-africa.org/vidal-armadores-banned-fined-and-awaiting-trial/. See www.interpol.int/Crime-areas/Environmental-crime/Operations. 15