Operation Green Shield 2026 seizes $280m in assets during 17-day Amazon environmental crime crackdown.
Abu Dhabi: A UAE-led international operation targeting environmental crime in the Amazon Basin has carried out 1,045 field operations, resulting in the arrest of 839 suspects and the seizure of assets, equipment and materials valued at more than $280 million in just 17 days.
The campaign is among the largest coordinated law enforcement efforts ever undertaken in the region to combat environmental crimes.
The results were announced by Lieutenant General Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior, who said the operation reflects the UAE leadership’s commitment to strengthening international cooperation in addressing cross-border challenges.
Sheikh Saif said the campaign builds on the UAE’s global environmental protection efforts through the International Initiative of Law Enforcement for Climate (I2LEC), launched in partnership with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in 2023 to enhance cooperation among law enforcement agencies in tackling environmental crime worldwide.
Responding to growing calls for stronger coordination among international law enforcement agencies, the UAE led Operation Green Shield 2026, which was launched in July in partnership with Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia and Brazil to combat environmental crimes across the Amazon Basin.
During the 17-day operation, authorities carried out 1,045 field operations, detained 839 suspects and seized assets linked to environmental offences worth more than $280 million. The confiscated items included equipment, materials and other assets associated with illegal activities threatening the Amazon’s ecosystem.
Sheikh Saif said the results highlight the UAE’s ability to turn international partnerships into effective operational outcomes, while supporting stronger global efforts to combat transnational environmental crime and protect natural ecosystems through coordinated law enforcement action.
