(Paula Cobleigh / Shutterstock.com)
Protecting our wildlife is a global wide endeavor. So, it comes as no surprise that environmental crimes against protected species is an international enterprise too. The illegal wildlife trade is a multibillion-dollar criminal operation according to National Geographic. But a joint effort between INTERPOL and the World Customs Organization (WCO) joined together to stop it in its tracks.
From June 4-30, 2019, this intelligence led operation, dubbed Operation Thunderball, involved 109 countries and resulted in almost 2,000 seizures of protected wildlife that ranged from large cats and primates to live turtles, birds, 74 truckloads of protected timber, and items made from protected animals.
“As clearly illustrated by the results of Operation Thunderball, close cooperation at international and national levels to combat wildlife crime must never be under-estimated,” said WCO secretary general Kunio Mikuriya in an INTERPOL press release.
INTERPOL and the WCO have a long history of working together in the field. This was the third joint operations that included Operation Thunderbird in 2017 and Operation Thunderstorm in 2018. The latest operation which was coordinated in INTERPOL's global complex in Singapore. Thunderball identified almost 600 suspects that triggered arrests worldwide and more are expected.
The operation was looking to crack down on trafficking routes in the hopes of preventing wildlife crime from occurring.
The illegal wildlife trade targets the survival of many species including African elephants that are killed for their ivory, pangolins that are used in traditional Chinese medicine, plus many species of birds and reptiles that are part of the exotic pet trade.
“Operations like Thunderball are concrete actions targeting the transnational crime networks profiting from these illicit activities. We will continue our efforts with our partners to ensure that there are consequences for criminals who steal from our environment,” said INTERPOL secretary general Jürgen Stock in the press release. "Wildlife crime not only strips our environment of its resources, it also has an impact through the associated violence, money laundering and fraud.”
Wildlife trafficking: Organized crime hit hard by joint WCO-INTERPOL global enforcement operationhttps://t.co/FDmWHH6gJp @INTERPOL_HQ @CITES#Police #WCO #Customs #ICCWC #EndWildlifeCrime #WildlifeCrime #WildlifeTrafficking #WildlifeProtection #IllicitTrafficking pic.twitter.com/jbyjquVlE7
— WCO_OMD (@WCO_OMD) July 10, 2019There have been a very small decline in the amount of wildlife seizures of some species and that shows that law enforcement has been working and that compliance levels are improving. But there is still a long way to go.
“For the sake of our future generations and the world we live in, it is vital that we stop criminals from putting livelihoods, security, economies and the sustainability of our planet at risk by illegally exploiting wild flora and fauna,” said Ivonne Higuero, the secretary general of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES).
Operation Thunderball worked with customs and police officers and were supported by wildlife and forestry agencies, border agencies, and CITES authorities to identify and intercept shipments that contained wildlife and flora that are regulated by CITES.
Operation Thunderball and the two that preceded it were very successful, but this is not the end. In fact, it is just a beginning of a collaboration between law enforcement, customs officials and wildlife organizations working together to help eradicate the scourge of environmental crime.
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