Green Crimes and Laundering Natural Resources: Case studies in South Africa, Borneo and Suriname

The research project Green Crimes and Joint Crime Ventures: Laundering Natural Resources focuses on the practice of converting illegally obtained natural resources into legal products. The laundering of natural resources contributes to rapidly disappearing rainforests, large-scale pollution, and the mass extinction of species, yet until now has been the subject of rather limited study. Eliode Bakole, Mila Jameelah and Esmée Hubbard van den Driest wrote articles about their ongoing PhD research.

The research project is headed by Daan van Uhm, (Associate) Professor of Environmental Crime at Utrecht University and Open University. The project is funded by Horizon Europe and runs from 2023 to 2028. Three case studies are currently underway:

• Eliode Bakole writes about his research into the practice of rhino horn laundering in South Africa.
• Mila Jameelah writes about her research into timber regulation and the practice of green laundering in Borneo.
• Esmée Hubbard van den Driest writes about her research into the dynamics of gold mining and laundering in Suriname.

Each of them has a strong connection with their respective research topic and geographic study area, which shows through in their blogs.

Eliode Bakole teaches us the difference between the 'browsers' and 'grazers' among rhino species (mirroring our indigenous roe deer and red deer): "Losing both black rhinos, which are regarded as browsers, and white rhinos, considered grazers, will directly impact many other species that depend on them for survival."

Esmée Hubbard van den Driest emphasises that her aim is not to criminalise individuals: "My focus is not on labelling people as “legal” or “illegal”. I believe this binary view of legality distracts from the more urgent task of uncovering how gold is laundered." 

And Mila Jameelah writes that each link in the tree-to-timber supply chain provides a new opportunity for legality to be manufactured: "The result is that timber cut from protected areas, or logged far beyond the limits of a concession, can move into the market as if it were produced sustainably."