Environmental crimes in Malta are often committed in remote areas, at night or away from witnesses, making enforcement particularly difficult despite growing public awareness and reporting, Inspector Elliot Magro from the Environmental Protection Unit within the Malta Police Force said.

While Malta's Environmental Protection Unit has strengthened its role in investigating environmental crime, Magro told The Malta Independent that the nature of these offences continues to present significant challenges.

"Most of these crimes are committed in rural areas, perhaps at night or during quiet hours, away from witnesses, away from CCTVs. This makes it a bigger headache for the police," he said.

He explained that illegal dumping frequently takes place in isolated valleys, while poaching and trapping are often carried out under the cover of darkness.

"Illegal dumping in public areas usually happens in valleys away from everyone," he said.

Magro added that even in a small country like Malta, there are still remote areas that are difficult to monitor.

"Malta is a very small island, but there are still areas which are very remote. For the officers who may not know the area, it can be very dangerous to proceed," Magro said.

Crimes moving online

Magro also said that environmental crime is evolving, with some activity shifting online, particularly in relation to wildlife trade.

"There are also crimes, such as wildlife trade, which is happening online. We cannot monitor each site and each post on social media," he said.

However, the unit has begun to expand its investigative approach, incorporating financial investigations into environmental crime cases.

"In the past years, especially last year, we have successfully finished the first in Malta, which was financial investigation with environmental crime," he said.

Working with the Financial Crimes Investigation Department, the EPU is targeting profit-driven crime more directly, Magro said.

"When I go to Europol, everyone says, 'you have to follow the money.' That is what we are trying to do, hit them where it hurts," Magro said.

He explained that while confiscating protected species can impact offenders, financial penalties and asset freezes are often more effective.

"Confiscating around 100 protected species, for example, affects the individual, but it does not affect as much as freezing assets, or taking them to court for financial crimes," he said.

Reliance on public reporting

Magro spoke of the crucial role played by the public in identifying environmental offences.

"The public's assistance is crucial when it comes to solving these kinds of crimes," he said.

Magro said that awareness has increased in recent years, with individuals reporting offences through phone calls, emails, online platforms and even social media.

"I believe the public identifies what is permitted and not, when it comes to environmental crime," he said.

However, he acknowledged that some individuals may be reluctant to come forward.

"Some may be afraid to report because they might have to testify in court," he said.

Magro explained that while footage can trigger investigations, witness testimony is often necessary.

"If someone takes footage of someone doing an illegal activity, I cannot rely only on that footage, I need the person who took the footage to testify that they took it on that particular date, on that particular time, at that particular location," Magro said.

Penalties as a deterrent

Magro said he believes that current penalties do act as a deterrent.

"The punishments are there, and they are quite high when it comes to animal cruelty, dangerous animals, and even when it comes to crimes relating to dumping, littering, or illegal hunting and trapping," he said.

He pointed to increased fines and additional sanctions such as licence suspensions.

"Before it was around €200 to €250. Now we have over a thousand euros in fines, at least for the minimum, and there is the loss of licence as well," he said.

Addressing cases where suspects are granted bail, Magro said this does not undermine police work.

"Bail does not really hinder our investigations, and bail does not make us feel that we somehow did not do our job properly. After all, it is the judgment that matters," he said.

He added that acquittals are used as learning experiences.

"The majority are found guilty, but the few that are acquitted, usually they are acquitted due to several factors that may have been overlooked, I take those particular judgments as a lesson for the next investigation," he said.

Limited resources

Magro said the unit currently consists of 18 officers, as well as some of whom are assigned to maritime duties.

"We have a small fleet, we have acquired two small vessels recently," he said.

However, deployments abroad reduce available manpower.

"I have four officers and one of the assets of the vessels deployed in Greece with Frontex, these are all numbers decreasing," he said.

Despite this, he said the unit continues to function effectively.

"I cannot say that I do not need more officers, as I could have hundreds more, but I believe that our enforcement is enough and adequate," he said.

Magro said the future of the unit will depend on strengthening expertise and, where possible, increasing resources.

"What I am planning is to provide more training, so that the officers get more expertise," he said.

"Fortunately, we have seasoned officers, now experienced officers, who have been here for years, and I think with their expertise, it may be also enough, even without newly added officers," Magro said.

He said that officers are trained in various environmental crime areas, and they are also sent abroad to learn about the different realities in other, larger countries, some of which would not have an environmental crime police unit, and such crimes would be investigated by other departments within the police.

He added that Malta's Environmental Protection Unit is recognised internationally.

"Having an environmental protection unit in Malta, dealing specifically with environmental, is praised upon by other countries, and that is a good thing," he said.

The first part of the interview was carried yesterday