Dhaka, Jan. 7 -- When we think of crime, we mostly picture handcuffs, courtrooms, and crime scenes splashed with police tape. Rarely do we imagine a river slowly turning black, a forest vanishing overnight, or children breathing toxic air as victims of crime. Think about something- when a man steals a phone, he gets labeled as a criminal, but when a person who poisons a river that feeds millions is often called a 'violator of rules.' This difference in language explains why environmental crimes remain among the most ignored and most dangerous crimes of our time.

Environmental crime, from a criminal justice perspective, refers to illegal acts that harm the ecosystem, endanger human health, and violate ecological laws for profit, convenien...