Interpol and the World Customs Organization announced global efforts to arrest 500 individuals and seize over 2000 animals and plants as part of an annual campaign to combat the illegal trade in endangered wildlife. This campaign highlights the ongoing nature of this type of illegal trafficking.
Key Facts
All animals are protected under international law due to their endangered status, including 1370 live birds, 53 live primates, 4 live big cats, and other species, according to Interpol, which named the campaign “Operation Thunder.”
Police and customs authorities in several countries seized over 30 tons of internationally protected plants, including protected cactus species.
2624 cubic meters of wood were seized, equivalent to 440 standard shipping containers, according to Interpol.
Main Background
This is the seventh campaign of its kind. Although the number of seizures this year (2114 seizures) is slightly lower than last year (2200 seizures), the number of seizures has steadily increased since 2017 (1300 seizures), with the number of participating countries more than doubling since then. Wildlife trafficking laws differ from country to country, according to the United Nations, with penalties ranging from civil penalties to criminal penalties. In the United States, for example, violating endangered species protection laws can result in a fine of up to $50,000 or imprisonment for up to one year, although some trafficking laws can lead to prison sentences of up to five years. Interpol officials say the annual campaign highlights how wildlife trafficking is linked to other forms of international organized crime. When analyzing this year’s seizure data, officials claimed that 60% of wildlife trafficking cases were linked to cross-border organized crime groups operating along routes used to smuggle other illegal products. Many animals and animal parts, as well as wood, were intended for illegal sale on online sales platforms. Interpol states that the operation also highlights the amount of protected reptiles and marine creatures still exploited in the luxury fashion industry – over 20,034 kilograms of marine species and nearly 8000 pieces of reptiles were recovered.
Important Quote
“Important and endangered animals, birds, and plants are at risk of extinction due to wildlife and timber traffickers,” according to Interpol Secretary-General Jürgen Stock.
The big number: 133. This is the number of countries that participated in this year’s Operation Thunder, the highest participation rate since the program began in 2017.
More articles: You can find more articles on Forbes about the topic of social media videos showing the torture of wildlife, numbering in the billions.
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