(AGENPARL) – mar 06 dicembre 2022 6 December 2022
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Global crackdown on illegal wildlife and timber trade: INTERPOL
and World Customs Organization join forces
Thunder Operations enforce the Convention on International Trade in
Endangered
Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES)
A joint INTERPOL
World Customs Organization (WCO) law enforcement operation has seen hundreds of
Codenamed “Thunder 2022”, the month
long (3
financial intelligence units, wildlife and forestry enforcement agencies from 125 countries
the largest number of
countries to take part in a Thunder oper
ation since the series started in 2017.
transporters were examined, often with the use of sniffer dogs and X
ray scanners.
Searches at land and ai
r border checkpoints focused on illegally traded species protected by national
legislation or CITES.
CITES is an international agreement to ensure that trade in wild animals and plants does not threaten their
survival. All trade performed in breach of CITE
S is illegal.
Seizures ranged from timber to live animals, as well as animal parts, bushmeat, and derivatives such as
clothing, beauty products, food items, traditional medicines and handicrafts.
A powerful global alliance
Although operational results a
re still being reported, Operation Thunder 2022 has so far seen almost 2,200
seizures and the identification of 934 suspects, triggering a series of worldwide arrests and investigations linked to
illegal trading, processing, exporting and importing of prot
ected wildlife and forestry products.
In addition to the identification of 141 companies suspected of engaging in illegal sales, total worldwide
seizures of protected animals and plants so far include:
Wildlife:
119 big cats and other felines
34 primates,
136 primate body parts
25 rhino horns
9 pangolins, 389 kg pangolin scales and derivatives
750 birds, more than 450 bird parts
With seizures reported in units, or total kg, according to national police practices, results also include:
Almost 780 kg and
516 pieces elephant ivory, and 27 elephant body parts
1,795 reptiles and almost half a tonne reptile parts and derivative products
4,337 and 2,813 kg marine products, including corals, eels and sea cucumbers
1,190 turtles and tortoises, 1,304 units and 8
kg body parts
More than a tonne and 17,081 units other wildlife, parts and derivatives.
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Plants and timber:
47,28 m3 rosewood and 17,163 pieces
Almost 47,000 m3 and 6,764 pieces other timber
710 cacti, 125 and 1,706 kg orchids
Almost 3.5 tonnes and 7,815
units other plants
More than five tonnes and 3,945 units plant derivatives.
In Southern Africa, Namibian authorities intercepted large amounts of timber before they were smuggled
into the region, with Angola arresting a citizen of the Asian region attempting to travel to Asia with rhino horns and
ivory ornaments, and Malawi author
ities seizing elephant tusks at the home of a man with Asian citizenship.
In Asia, Thailand reported several seizures of tortoises from East Africa and hundreds of live reptiles from
Europe, whilst Indonesia made two large seizures of timber bound for th
e Middle East and Asia. India seized some
1,200 reptiles (iguanas, pythons, monitor lizards and tortoises) declared as “ornamental fish’ and packed in
cardboard boxes.
With Europe a growing destination region for protected wildlife, France intercepted rept
iles from Central
ivory pieces after investigating a man selling wildlife on an e
commerce platform.
Illustrating the commitment of the America
n continent to protecting its natural heritage, Costa Rica arrested
an individual in possession of hundreds of protected wildlife species and Peru issued an INTERPOL Red Notice
against a timber trafficker. Parrots, iguana eggs, coral, crocodile leather pro
ducts, caviar and shark meat were
seized in several US international airports.
Several countries reported seizures of garments and accessories made of reptile skins.
“Thunder operations are important to global security because timber and wildlife traffick
ing are not just
conservation issues
officers lose their lives every year, livelihoods are destroyed, diseases are spread,
governments weakened and entire economies destroyed. This is because the huge financial gains to be made
attract serious organized
crime and terrorist militants who grease the wheels of crime with heavy doses of
corruption,” said INTERPOL Secretary General Jürgen Stock.
“Large scale cross
border operations like Operation Thunder 2022 are as much about putting criminals
behind bars as
about raising public awareness on what species or products people can or cannot buy, sell, or take
from the wild. Global multi
from seizure to arrest to prosecution, a
s with the data collected, customs administrations can refine their risk
management and strategies,” said WCO Secretary General Kunio Mikuriya.
Intelligence
led field operations
Customs and police units shared wildlife and timber trafficking intelligence b
oth ahead and during
operations, enabling field officers to identify and target trafficking hotspots, with an emphasis on land and airport
border points as well as wildlife parks.
Known criminals, particularly INTERPOL Red Notice fugitives, were identifie
d ahead of operations, along with
companies used to facilitate wildlife and timber crime.
Customs and police contribute to conservation efforts by gathering and delivering admissible evidence that
supports investigations and prosecutions.
Coordinated join
International Consortium on Combating Wildlife Crime, Thunder Operations are funded by the European
6 December 2022
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Commission’s Directorate General for International Partnerships, Norway’s Int
ernational Climate and Forest
Initiative, the UK’s Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, and the US Agency for International
Development.