Holding other people that we ask to be very fast check when you have reception please, we might have to call the police. Im with some environmental activist somewhere in the romanian forest. Were being followed by angry, longer than me out there all but off. Sure. Sure. How do i love that theres another new piece of furniture made of wood and it was pretty inexpensive. Position. I think i have quite a lot of wood in my apartment, and ive never given much thought to where it comes from doing us it up for the 2nd furnishings made of wood at a good price. Were not told where the wood comes from, just where the item was made. As consumers, we usually dont think about where are would it comes from . What is supposed to be eco friendly after all. But the headlines tell a very different story. Illegal logging and violence are escalating. Would thieves are killing foresters . My hunt for the timber mafia. Begins and romania this morning. Raids on companies are taking place across the country. Targeting firms of suspected of involvement in the illegal temper trade. Its a business thats worth billions. The police have given me permission to accompany the raid, but then revoked it. Even though we badly need more transparency when it comes to the Timber Industry. The. The carpet and mountains are home to one of europes last and largest primeval forest. But many parts of it looked like this. Its been estimated that half of all logging in romania is illegal. And germany is one of the biggest buyers. With consumption is booming, and forests are shrinking across the globe. Not far from the ukrainian border. I need some activists. Perfect. So the, the men are members of the romanian organization, agent green. They receive tip offs from the police about areas that they are the signs of a legal logging here in this area where the Law Enforcement is waiting for us and others are very high suspicion of massive logging. I really like you, we are quite the bunch today and or is that out of the Law Enforcement the wrong, but this area has a history of violence. Shes definitely a poem founded agent green because he spent years finding the timber mafia, the Global Network that includes loggers traitors and corrupt officials. The activists believe that longer is, might have reused a single permit over and over logging far more trees than they were permitted to. But the local authorities dont see eye to eye with the active as of the federal court with us. We see youre definitely mistaken. The law says, the Standard Practice might be clear, but sometimes there are gaps in the lowest grade zones. For me as a Police Officer, its very clear, its all the trees are still here. Where does all this timber in the sole mail come from . And why is this so much traffic on this road . Awesome. Thats what our task force is. Checking. What was cut down, and what was the purpose . So we knew whats wonderful for one day to know about that it was, well, wed like to take a look at the place you people are checking out. So lets go, ill put on my dates. Im not your customer the the activists arent quite buying the story. Corruption is widespread in romania and the timber mafia. Exploits that they bribe public officials, politicians and Police Officers. After the raid one Police Officer who had taken part in the investigation was arrested, accused of taking 300000 bureaus in bribes from a timber dealer. The activist survey, the forest from above, the drone pilot doesnt want to show his face out of concern for his safety at the bottom of the river. Here, you can see anything wrong with the course on this side. But if you just just go above our line by like a 100 meters or less, you can sort of see the big logging at the top and it goes around the. So its not easy to get here. If its for this hard to document how much timber is being logged here, and were not even in the remotest forest of romania yet. Just imagine how complicated this would be in other locations. It is a son that, that on, on next to the trees which are being marked for the cutting. There is other trees that has been cut or id or about 3 months ago. Thats how the science looks like. But they are not doing any single paper. So they are missing and being caught illegally and there is no mark around them. Environment is monitoring the illegal logging can be dangerous. As gabrielle po knows all too well the court. There were plenty of life threatening events. I was beaten all wants to that, and actually there was a one time when they really thought they, they accuse me because i was not moving anymore by chance. I survived. But my bodys scaring deep once and i basically no longer have a bone in my body, which was not broken. That attack happened in 2015 phone and his team from agent greenwood investigating illegal logging and a nature reserve when they were attacked by a group of men. Phone was wearing a body camera at least 6 foresters had been killed in romania over the last 10 years. Of the government and Law Enforcement are supposed to protect romanians natural resources. Instead, people like gabrielle poland, risk their lives to save the old growth forests. Romania joined the European Union in 2007 in 2020 the you put romania on notice for failing to protect its forest. But as of september 2023. The you hasnt taken legal action. The next day we had out to another location on the way we passed piles of log the birch trees trees this size, or at least 100 years old. And they are essential to the local eco system. And old trees also store more carbon this forest is managed by a room seized by, but the state Forest Administration has been dogged by accusations of corruption. One employee told me that his boss threatened him for refusing bribes. Today the police arent accompanying us. So whenever we stop, we dont leave the guys before turning the cars around. Okay, awesome. Local to them. I have to to one. So i want to know if my so we Stay Together with the lets see where they are. So i think its very close to, to do what like look at what huge trees they had here. This is a beauty for makes for a typical, this is really, really nice for us doing with us. Look out the dragging the trees through the harvest. Uh. Yeah. A calling all the vegetation, including the, the new generation of 3 is youre not supposed to do industrial operations like this. Youre supposed to cut one piece of the time, not drag everything together, destroying or the, or the generation to sort of, its beyond the legal log and use nobodys allowed, or im not allowed to cut. Its there working like they hate the for is this is a dave station. This is a full for destruction of the entire how be that. Of course, we had there way the activists want to gather evidence and confront the longer that the right now, the wait was sent to you by booker is because of the rate the, the authorization for this area has expired. But i saw that it listed the date of december 31st. So theres a discrepancy once youve spent the parties have oh yeah, thats not our problem. Maybe theres an error in the system or Something Like that, but we are 100 percent in the clear temper has become such a big deal. Its under even more scrutiny than drugs. We can hardly do our jobs anymore. I dont know because ive never thought that youve destroyed everything here. Everything the way you doing this . Just a go, its a little more i didnt destroy and i think this is, i started things they look at this tree, you cut it down even though its more than 200 years old. I thought that youre not supposed to be here in the 1st place. In part, you know, youre all but i got to put, they suddenly think they look then the longer is realize the man theyre talking to isnt here on official business. He mention my name. Theyve realized hes the environmental activist, gabrielle, upon the 1st 1st the police going these very dangerous. He mentioned my name, therefore, i couldnt believe this. There is a bounty, thrice on my head. If they catch me, they kill me. Whoever gets my head gets a lot of money and now we are being chased and they are calling out of people ahead. We have to be very fast and is more worried than ive ever seen him. And his fear is contagious. Certainly these is not their own should should. How do i love the doors of this car . Was the name of this place. I start to look for anything in the car that we could use to defend ourselves. Were in luck. Its a park the logging truck, not a blockade and were not the only ones who dont have reception. The loggers dont either, so they cant call for reinforcements. We managed to escape the Global Demand for wood is huge. We use it in construction for heating furniture, even toilet paper, and the Cardboard Box is used in online shopping. There was even wood in clothing, and tires and deforestation is a major contributor to carbon emissions. Yet and a 2021 e report, researchers were unable to identify the source of 120000000 metric tons of wood used in a single year. So is this, the on identifiable would ending up in our own homes . To find out more . I pay a visit to your honda sign in whos been what detective for w w. F, germany for 20 years. Now note, if the according to interpol, 15 to 16 percent of would sold globally was loved illegally. And thats a lot in detroit, michigan does not end up with 19 tropical for us because according to engine poll, its 60 to 90 percent more met. So the moment i purchase a product with a would comes from a high risk country with the be highly likely that this product to stems from some sort of illegal activity. Thats piece of product in india gotten into account how there are labels that certify sustainable sourcing, like the one issued by the Forest Stewardship Council and e. U regulations banned the sale of illegal timber and would in europe and siri. Now, as gifts, final thoughts on people that regulation does exist, but its not implemented well. And then all certificates exist, but they are often meaningless in high risk countries regardless. So illegal would continues to play a role including on the gym and markets. What has been the use 2013 timber regulation was written with loopholes, for example, it applied to tables, but not chairs, a new deforestation. La aims to close such gaps that has been in the guidelines as long as the products made of illegal timber sold at a lower price. You can run across those products. When you buy furniture from a retailer at a roof motion prices or can stick a price, but its also going online to look at a furniture vendor like move this. Now, what about that . A lot. This is shante. This is, it will take a look that it has solid wooden legs and its a posted if it costs 149. Yours as if id say thats a low price for a chair like that. And its fairly fancy. Its off the way to being an armchair. Musician assessing here. A wooden bench costs 40 euros. A table made of solid oak. 129 euros. Thats nothing unusual for your honda, its on and its not prove that the wood was illegally sourced, but it is worth a closer look. The key a list in bags and 17 minutes away. We decide to check out some local retailers. This is a big part of the wood detectives work on the fitness center, which is what that is supposed to be. The new this month been getting like done and strangely enough, every time the w w. F doesnt market analysis, we fund suspicious product itself on the home display. Why on the all stores, hes finding them doing those tests using this for like 5 at a time. They failed to create more transparency. So the industry has a cheap, its a must put in some offices based health team whos presented to us because its the flaming fund regarding what the impact of the legal lumber trade and the destruction of the forest is terrible. Sitting under its driving Climate Change and the loss of buying a diversity. Why is a legal team but treated like a minor offense knock before they go out, they more inspections, more rigorous controls and much roy and penalties and yet, which would have a deterrent a thing of a conclusive still happening of his coffee. Oh, yeah, im speaking to somebody who was to be send me some because the ikea is the Worlds Largest furniture retailer and it consumes more than half a percent of the global timber harvest. Were here to take a look at a few of the items that seem suspiciously cheap on their website. So this week i have cruise to this is to promote and does this lease chelseas very cheat. So we can assume it comes from a country where labor costs to load on, get to disclose tend to be the same countries that have issues with corruption and with the loss of illegal looking. So when what happens when you say thats the case in eastern europe, its sending russia as a civilian or so. So it would be interesting to know exactly where these food comes from. And david says pundents are shown will contend the thoughts of contact with him. I key as full of an expensive furnishings made of solid wood. Research carried out by algebra and the earth side organization. In 20202021. The found the links between ikea product, the legal timber ikea denied the accusations, but simon says no furniture retailer can guarantee its completely free of a legally logwood. Are we going to do any fielding in this . No. We dont want to call attention to ourselves inside johan is signing crawls under tables. Turns chairs upside down and takes 3 hours worth of notes. You know, this is key for, you know, put a tip of getting for this is behind is made in china. The honest thing, it does go to a tree rings here, a very thin. So these tree probably grew in a very cold environment with in long some weeks that slows grows and gives you would, that looks like this to me for the controller. This time might have come from russia being processed in china. That exposure to european . No, no, it will pop. Thats my guess disappeared. This one is somebody from neutral russian timber is regarded as high risk and its import was banned after russia invaded ukraine. After a few more purchases at another retailer, we returned to its audience office. Were going to send one samples to a lab to trace its origin. The is any of this would the product of illegal logging while we wait for the lab results i had to france where interpol is headquarters. I have a meeting with dr. Brown who is an environmental crime investigator for the agency. You mindful . What are we having in this process . So i tells us to apply on that. It seems like most people dont care about a legal log that is this. Thats also been my experience, the all feeling a lot of the political discussions ive witness completely missed. The point of the problem is growing more and more urgent with us. More and more massive and worry something im gonna see you is a topic that should be the top of our list. Minds was fema mail, duct interpol cooperates with countries around the world. But the problem is huge around says that interpol estimates the illegal Timber Industry is worth up to 152000000000. 00 a year. And with the community, it is then to the voice. The environmental crime is the 3rd largest crime in the world. Though its a, its right behind illegal Drug Trafficking and counterfeiting crime, just cumulative the send, the overall context is also important and context you 1st and foreign mental crime goes hand in hand with the worst kinds of organized crime, with things like human traffic in the drug trade last sections of the weapons, training on the button on the, even, please. An Important Role in terrorism was an issue or to speak why terrorism was most was, is to it was, it was a terrorist groups, for example, all sure about the are financed by the ruthless, plundering of natural resources, illegal logging and illegal charcoal production. Legos. A put some of the for all by to that charcoal who is also imported into the already done that, we feel our sausages on it and its it. And i have no idea where it actually comes from this. The welcome to start safety here. They get this, its a lot like an investment portfolio pound explains the criminal organizations invest in a variety of industries, including a legal timber size. Is this im in the tool list, salsa. Its a natural resource. That right now is just as important as gold is the kind of thing the organized crime loves system is huge, profit was a very low penalty using stuff. So new theyre not the tyrant on. As a result, its probably the problem is growing massively must sieve. Illegal logging is increasing illegal up as ramping some try to pull on him on flows. I show him some photos i took during my investigation. Not letting me make this bigger. So thats what you meant by this is a forest in romania communion. This is an old us, the criminal organizations like police. This like this. You can protect it. Isolated regions where theres little oversight to color where they can just run 2nd area and sell the timber illegally at the high price of the gods. But difficult and violence is please them. Feed, grow. I know i know roller, the romania is not alone. Many other countries also have the same problem, i mean, to post as in east, south, east asia, uncle and especially them become delta. And theres also a huge hot spot for legal logging and Tropical Forest funding portion bundle have been told that youre skeptical who does highly sought after and demand keeps rising even as prices keep rise. I think that he did good the in cambodia. Nature is also being plundered over the past 20 years, more than a quarter of the countries for us to vanished about 90 percent of that due to illegal logging. Macos hunter came here from germany some 30 years ago. The environmental activist has tried to counter cambodia as powerful timber mafia which is said to have ties to the highest circles of government. Rather than meeting in a public place. Hes come to my hotel. Theres this fucker, so thats done. Well get to the go. Youll have an illegal logging operation run by gangsters that pays a regular wage to the pub director. Hell give some of that to his subordinates and deluxe chunk to his bosses in the ministry with im. It wasnt times the bus in my opinion, minutes daily. The ranges, work is gone for the logging company in the protected forests frontier and totally illegal. So the art classic massey, a style operation, regardless, is class, which is matthew of business. Openly criticizing corruption in cambodia is dangerous. An activist friend of macos high because criticized the military for their involvement. He was been shot and killed by a military Police Officer who does the hits administer pension busy bus