The “Bio-Crime Model” of Cross-Border Cooperation Among Veterinary Public Health, Justice, Law Enforcements, and Customs to Tackle the Illegal Animal Trade/Bio-Terrorism and to Prevent the Spread of Zoonotic Diseases Among Human Population

Abstract

Illegal animal trade (pet, wildlife, animal products, etc.) is an example of transnational organized crime (T.O.C.) that generates a large business with huge profit margins. This criminal activity causes several negative effects on human health (zoonoses), animal health and welfare, market protection, consumer fraud and may be used as tool of agro/bio-terrorism. Illegal animal trade can facilitate the spread of zoonoses that are defined as diseases and infections that are transmitted by vertebrate animals to man. Humans are affected by more than 1,700 known pathogens: 60% of existing human infectious diseases are zoonotic and at least 75% of emerging infectious diseases of humans have an animal origin and 72% of zoonoses originate from wildlife or exotic animals. The Bio-Crime Project was developed in 2017 by Friuli Venezia Giulia Region (Italy) and Land Carinthia (Austria) together with other public institutions to combat illegal animal trade and to reduce the risk of disease transmission from animals to humans. Project partners agreed that a multi-agency approach was required to tackle the illegal animal trade that was high value, easy to undertake and transnational crime. The Bio-crime model of cross-border cooperation introduces the novel approach of replicating the cooperative framework given by the triad of Veterinary Public Health, Justice and Law Enforcements/Customs across borders using the International Police and Custom Cooperation Centres (IPCCCs) as a connection link among public entities of the neighbor countries. This model has been recognized as a best practice at European level because it can be easily replicated and scaled up without any supplementary cost for Member States.

European illegal puppy trade and organised crime

“…This is particularly problematic at a time whereby key EU responses to the trade are coming into effect (e.g. EU Animal Health Law, EU Digital Services Act, Bio-crime Model (Zucca et al 2020 )) and there is growing recognition of the need for international collaboration and cooperation, especially in response to this emerging organised crime.…”

“…Negative impact extends well beyond the puppies (and their mothers) in the trade; experts argued it has an effect on the state of the nation’s dogs’ health with: known diseases outbreaks, the potential introduction of new diseases, and long term behavioural and health issues resulting from inappropriate breeding, rearing, transportation and socialisation of puppies. These issues in turn impact the financial stability of the legitimate puppy market, consumers, government agencies, NGOs, and the UK public, which have to contend with the health (zoonotic diseases—see also Zucca et al 2020 ) and social consequences of the illegal trade, as well as try to respond to it. The involvement of OCGs in the trade presents increased and new serious consequences, including illicit gains financing other serious criminality.…”

What Do Adolescents Know About One-Health and Zoonotic Risks? A School-Based Survey in Italy, Austria, Germany, Slovenia, Mauritius, and Japan

“…The research project was born at a cross-border level between Italy and Austria in 2018 and then extended to other Italian regions (Autonomous Province of Bolzano), to other European countries (Slovenia and Germany) and extra-European countries (Mauritius and Japan) in 2019. The criterion for the involvement of the European nations involved in the study is related to a broad model of cross-border cooperation between EU countries developed by the Biocrime Center starting from 2017 which not only involves schools but also Law Enforcements and Justice ( 26 ). The partners of the Biocrime project took the decision to involve the Republic of Mauritius and Japan as they believed it is essential to acquire comparative information on the perception of biological and zoonotic risk by adolescents living in countries with different climatic, environmental, and cultural situations as compared to Europe.…”

“…The sample size with a confidence level of 95% and a confidence interval of 10% with unlimited population size is 97 subjects for each region/country. not only involves schools but also Law Enforcements and Justice (26). The partners of the Biocrime project took the decision to involve the Republic of Mauritius and Japan as they believed it is essential to acquire comparative information on the perception of biological and zoonotic risk by adolescents living in countries with different climatic, environmental, and cultural situations as compared to Europe.…”

A Three-Year Biocrime Sanitary Surveillance on Illegally Imported Companion Animals

“…The illegal trade of companion animals in the European Union poses several legal, ethical and health issues to the entire community. Puppies and kittens are mostly sold online and do not always meet the health requirements established in the European Regulation (EU) 2013/576, being too young to be effectively vaccinated; in addition, they are transported with fraudulent passports which provide false or partial information on their origin [ 1 , 2 ]. Over the years, the Friuli-Venezia Giulia region in Italy and Land Carinthia in Austria have taken up a crucial role as transit routes for the westwards illegal trade rather than being actual regions of destination.…”