INTERPOL: International Criminal Police Organization dates from 1923 is an intergovernmental organization facilitating international police cooperation and has a membership of 190 countries (as of 2015). The organization's headquarters is in Lyon, France. Four official languages English, French, Spanish and Arabic. It is the second largest political organization after the United Nations in terms of international representation. It is not a supranational law enforcement agency and has no agents who are able to make arrests. Instead, it is an international organization that functions as a network of criminal law enforcement agencies from different countries for administrative liaison among their law enforcement, providing communications and database assistance. Interpol's can assist law enforcement in fighting international crime. Interpol’s international databases can track criminals and crime trends around the world. An encrypted Internet-based worldwide communications network allows Interpol agents and member countries to contact each other at any time. Known as I-24/7, the network offers constant access to Interpol's databases. Member countries can also access each other's criminal databases via the I-24/7 system. Every INTERPOL member country has a National Central Bureau (NCB), linking national police with its I-24/7 network.

Has Environmental Crime Programme, run by Environmental Compliance and Enforcement Committee with a Wildlife Crime Working Group. The INTERPOL Wildlife Crime Working Group initiates and leads a number of projects to combat the poaching, trafficking, or possession of legally protected flora and fauna and to deal with environmental crime: ‘The same routes used to smuggle wildlife across countries and continents are often used to smuggle weapons, drugs and people. Indeed, environmental crime often occurs hand in hand with other offences such as passport fraud, corruption, money laundering and murder.’ ‘Leading global and regional operations to dismantle the criminal networks behind environmental crime using intelligence-driven investigations; Coordinating and developing international law enforcement best practice manuals, guides and other resources;’

‘‘Ecomessage system’ provides a uniform intelligence data reporting system for the many different law enforcement agencies involved. These messages are passed from an enforcement agency in one country, via INTERPOL National Central Bureaux, to the relevant agencies in the other countries concerned.

There are several advantages to this procedure:

• Data is shared in a standard format;
• Information passes through secure communications links at all stages of the process;
• The INTERPOL General Secretariat is copied on all messages and the information entered into the Organization's databases where it can then be cross-referenced with other entries.

Equally, there are a number of benefits to investigations:

• INTERPOL criminal analysts can study the data and begin to discern such information as the structure, extent and dynamics of international criminals and organizations involved.
• The reporting country can ask questions or make requests. For example, a customs agency in one country may have seized contraband smuggled from a second country. The Ecomessage system allows the first country to enquire about the exporter or carrier in the second country. In the case of smuggled wildlife, countries can address such issues as the repatriation and preservation of the seized wildlife.’

It has four current wildlife ‘Projects’ for Asian big cats, elephants, illegal logging and illegal fishing.

Project Leaf re. illegal logging aims to:

• Raise awareness of the impact of illegal logging;
• Develop law enforcement capacity;
• Enhance information and intelligence sharing;
• Establish National Environmental Security Task Forces (NESTs) to promote institutionalized cooperation between national agencies and international partners.

These aims will be delivered through ‘analysis, training, operational support and the dissemination of expert recommendations and best practice.’

‘It is estimated that illegal logging accounts for 50-90 per cent of all forestry activities in key producer tropical forests, such as those of the Amazon Basin, Central Africa and Southeast Asia, and 15-30 per cent of all wood traded globally. Illegal logging continues to occur in many formally protected forests, especially in tropical countries. The trade in illegally harvested timber is highly lucrative and estimated to be worth between USD 30 and USD 100 billion annually. Illegal logging operations rely on corruption and could not occur without some form of consent from government officials responsible for protecting forests. Officials accept bribes that allow criminals to obtain logging permits, avoid detection and export illegal timber. This results in the loss of crucial resources for developing countries, while damaging their economies, public trust, and institutional structures. Around only eight per cent of the world’s forests are certified as sustainably managed.’

Project Predator re Asian big cats: ‘Between 2010 and 2015 it facilitated nine intelligence-led operations involving almost 50 countries.
These have resulted in more than 560 arrests and the seizure of more than 100 tigers or leopards, 56 tiger and leopard skins, hundreds of kilograms of big cat bones, 12.8 tonnes of ivory, almost 11 tonnes of pangolins, pangolin scales and pangolin meat, more than 2,500 turtles and tortoises and a variety of other wildlife including bears and bear parts, rhino horn, red pandas, reptiles and protected bird and plant species.
Dozens of operational meetings and training events have been held across South, Central and Southeast Asia. Training events have addressed a range of topics including crime scene investigation, questioning wildlife smugglers and intelligence analysis.’

Interpol circulates ‘Interpol Notices’ inc. the ‘International arrest warrant’. An Interpol notice is an international alert used by police to communicate information about crimes, and criminals around the world. They are colour coded according to type and seriousness and are circulated by Interpol to all member states at the request of a member or an authorised international entity. The Red Notice is the "closest instrument to an international arrest warrant in use today’’ and is a request to ‘seek the location and arrest of a person wanted by a judicial jurisdiction or an international tribunal with a view to his/her extradition.’

Participates in the International Consortium on Combating Wildlife Crime (ICCWC) see below.