Organised poaching for profit and a growing trend in the ownership of dangerous animals are among the most worrying environmental crime trends currently being investigated in Malta, Police inspector Elliot Magro said, warning that both have become growing areas of concern for the Environmental Protection Unit within the Malta Police Force.

Malta's Environmental Protection Unit (EPU) was established to focus specifically on investigating environmental crime, marking a shift from earlier structures within the Malta Police Force that handled such cases alongside a broader range of administrative enforcement duties.

In an interview with The Malta Independent on Sunday, Inspector Magro explained that the unit emerged from the Administrative Law Enforcement (ALE) section but was restructured in 2020 following discussions within the police administration on the need for a dedicated unit.

"Our unit emerged from another unit previously called the Administrative Law Enforcement (ALE). However, back in 2020, following discussions with the administration of the police, we saw the need for a unit which is directly involved in environmental crime investigations," Magro said.

He noted that while the ALE unit handled a variety of responsibilities, not all were directly related to environmental crime, prompting the shift towards a more specialised structure.

"We decided to set up this unit which is different from others. We are all still police officers, however, each unit has its own roles and responsibility. Our unit investigates mostly crimes which are directly environmental crimes, for example, wildlife crime, minor waste crimes, and we are also involved in many investigations with Europol and Interpol," he said.

Magro added that from the outset, the aim was to create a unit that could focus specifically on environmental crime investigations, supported by targeted training for officers.

"Our aim for the unit back in its establishment in 2020, and even before, was to actually have a unit directly related to environmental crimes investigations," he said.

A wide range of environmental offences

Magro said the unit regularly investigates illegal waste dumping, wildlife crime, illegal hunting and trapping, among other offences.

He explained that wildlife crime is a broad term that includes a range of illegal activities, from trafficking and possession of protected species to the keeping of dangerous animals.

"The wildlife crime that we investigate includes the trafficking of protected species, as well as possession of protected species. Protected species may be birds, reptiles, as well as dangerous animals," he said.

Magro added that these cases can be particularly demanding.

"Obviously, it takes a lot of our time, especially in busy periods. We also investigate illegal hunting and illegal trapping and waste burning activities in rural areas. That is our sphere of environmental crime," Magro said.

At the same time, he addressed a common misconception regarding the unit's work in relation to hunters and trappers.

"We are not against hunters, we are not against trappers, but as police officers we swore that we would investigate, take people to court and gather evidence, when it comes to something related to illegal hunting or another criminal activity. For us, it is still a crime," he said.

Growing concern over organised poaching

Magro said that in recent years, one of the most concerning trends has been an increase in organised poaching.

Since taking on his role in 2018, he said he has observed a shift from isolated breaches to more structured, profit-driven activity.

"There are many cases of poaching, which means that the individual or the groups of individuals are hunting or trapping for profit. It is not the hunter that shot a turtle dove one day before the season opened, or someone who took a cage and tried to catch a finch, for example. We are talking about organised poaching, which is quite worrying," he said.

Magro added that this trend is ongoing, although the unit has achieved a level of success in tackling it.

"We have quite a successful rate of apprehending these individuals, and we are doing our best to stop them, because they are gaining profit from wildlife. For us, this kind of poaching activity is quite worrying," Magro said.

He noted that while poaching is often associated with large-scale wildlife crime abroad, it is also a reality in Malta.

"When it comes to poaching, people generally think about rhinos and elephants in Asia and Africa. However, it happens in Malta as well, mostly with birds," Magro said.

Rise in dangerous animal ownership

Another trend highlighted by Magro is the increasing ownership of dangerous and exotic animals.

"It is also not a secret that we also have quite a trend of individuals keeping dangerous animals, and the ownership of these animals has increased over the years," he said.

He said that the increase has been particularly noticeable since 2018.

"There has been an increase, especially when it comes to monkeys and chimpanzees, and felines, namely large cats; leopards, tigers, and lions," Magro said.

"Owners of these animals may seek a certain status, and image of power, for owning two lions, for example," he said.

Magro explained that reports of environmental offences are received through multiple channels, including phone calls, emails, NGOs and other authorities.

"There are different types and different means how the reports are received here. We can have an individual who calls traditionally by phone. We work closely with NGOs and voluntary organisations, so there are times that we receive emails or information from them. There may be other authorities that complain," he said.

In 2025, the unit received 528 reports, and charged a total of 183 individuals for environmental crimes.

Once a report is received, officers are deployed based on patrol areas and begin gathering evidence immediately.

"Depending on the location of where the report is, we inform those officers on that particular site and they report on site. Depending on the offence, they start with usually looking for witnesses, for CCTV cameras, we capture everything via our bodycams, document everything by photographs, and we try to gather as much evidence as possible, such as seizing paraphernalia," he said.

In cases involving illegal hunting or trapping, firearms and nets may be seized.

"If the offence is illegal hunting or trapping, the officers seize firearms and nets," he said.

When dangerous animals are involved, the EPU works closely with the Animal Welfare Directorate.

"If it is a dangerous animal, the EPU does not work the case on its own. We contact Animal Welfare and they come on site," he said.

However, he pointed out a major practical limitation.

"The usual problem that we find is what we are going to do with the animal. There are not enough spaces in Malta to keep these animals," Magro said.

As a result, confiscated animals are sometimes left in the same location under government supervision.

"What usually happens is that the animals are confiscated, and are seized by the department, which is Animal Welfare. However, they are kept on that particular site, where they were found. It means that the animals for the time being belong to the government, but they are still kept on site, because of problems with space," he said.

Prosecution and coordination

Once investigations are complete, the EPU proceeds with prosecution, Magro said.

"Usually, in cases of environmental crime, I am the prosecutor," he said.

He explained that multiple cases may be heard in a single sitting, particularly those carrying lower penalties.

"We gather all the evidence, summon witnesses in Court, provide the reports, and then it is up to the court," he said.

Magro also addressed coordination with other authorities, noting that environmental enforcement often involves overlapping responsibilities.

"On a daily basis, we experience the overlapping of duties. Which duty is the police's duty? Which duty is the authority's duty?" he said, adding that despite this, cooperation between entities is there.

"We need them and they need us, so it is useless to argue on the duties. We found a way to work together," he said.

This cooperation extends internationally, particularly in tackling wildlife trafficking routes.

"We know that a lot of birds, such as finches, come from Italy. They might not be the country of origin, but they are trafficked. The last route would be from Sicily to Malta, mostly, or from the south of Italy. We have to work with each other closely," he said.

When asked about situations involving overlapping responsibilities, Magro explained that until a few years ago, the majority of authority and duties were handled by the police.

He said that in instances concerning animal welfare, if the EPU found an abandoned or neglected dog, for example, the police had to take the dog.

"Firstly, I am not trained to handle such a dog, and secondly, I do not have adequate space to place these animals. We have tackled this, and now we work very well with Animal Welfare," Magro said, adding that these were the kinds of instances where the law was not clear on the responsibilities.

Magro said that there are cases which require a lot of hours or manpower, where the Unit then requests the help of other authorities.

He said that the EPU liaises with ERA on illegal dumping at sea, as well as illegal hunting inspections at sea.