- A 26-day worldwide effort in June termed Operation Thunderball, coordinated by Interpol and the World Customs Organization (WCO), led to seizures of thousands of protected animals and plants.
- Confiscated items included more than 2,600 plants, nearly 10,000 live turtles and tortoises, more than 4,300 birds, 23 live primates, 30 big cats, 440 pieces of elephant tusks, nearly 10,000 marine wildlife animals and their products, and 74 truckloads of timber.
- Based on intelligence gathered before the operation was launched, the authorities identified wildlife trafficking routes and smuggling hotspots, which then led to seizures and almost 600 people being identified as suspects.
In a joint customs and police operation spanning 109 countries, authorities have confiscated thousands of plants and animals, including more than 2,600 plants, nearly 10,000 live turtles and tortoises, more than 4,300 birds, 23 live primates, and 30 big cats.
The 26-day worldwide effort in June termed Operation Thunderball also resulted in seizures of some 440 pieces of elephant tusks, 545 kilograms (1,200 pounds) of additional ivory products, five rhino horns, nearly 10,000 marine wildlife animals and their products, and 74 truckloads of timber, according to a joint press release by Interpol and the World Customs Organization (WCO), which coordinated the operation.
“Wildlife crime not only strips our environment of its resources, it also has an impact through the associated violence, money laundering and fraud,” Interpol secretary-general Jürgen Stock said in the statement. “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.”
Based on intelligence gathered before the operation was launched, the authorities identified wildlife trafficking routes and smuggling hotspots, which then led to seizures and almost 600 people being identified as suspects. Russian authorities, for instance, uncovered 4,100 turtles being smuggled in a truck claiming to transport cabbage; those in China seized 1,280 kilograms (2,800 pounds) of dried seahorse; while officials in Nigeria confiscated seven packages of pangolin parts weighing 546 kilograms (1,200 pounds) bound for Asia.
Some arrests have been made, including 21 people in Spain and three suspects in Uruguay who were moving more than 400 protected species of wildlife. More arrests and prosecutions are likely as the various investigations progress, the press release said.
“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,” WCO secretary general Kunio Mikuriya said in the statement.
Susan Lieberman, vice president of international policy at the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), said the arrests and seizures were only the first step. “[G]overnments now must follow up with strong, meaningful prosecutions,” Lieberman said in a statement. “In particular, the criminals running these networks must feel the full weight of the law, including deterrent penalties and jail sentences.”
Correction 07/15/2019: As a reader pointed out, the langur in the image above was likely misidentified as a white-headed langur. We’ve removed the species name until we can get its identity verified.
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