Global Wildlife and Timber Trading Crackdown Yields 900 Arrests and 2,200 Seizures

During the month-long operation in October, Interpol and the World Customs Organization brought together police, customs, and financial intelligence units from 125 countries to enforce the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). The operation, code-named Operation Thunder 2022, resulted in 900 arrests and 2,200 seizures of protected wildlife and forestry products.

The global operation targeted timber and wildlife trafficking, which Interpol Secretary General Jürgen Stock described as a serious threat to global security, responsible for the loss of lives, destruction of livelihoods, and the spread of diseases. The operation involved routine inspections and targeted controls at land and air border checkpoints, using sniffer dogs and X-ray scanners to detect and seize illegally traded species.

The seizures included 119 big cats and other felines, 34 primates, 136 primate body parts, 9 pangolins, and 389 kg of pangolin scales and derivatives. The operation also identified 934 suspects and triggered a series of worldwide arrests and investigations linked to illegal trading, processing, exporting, and importing of protected wildlife and forestry products.

Key Takeaways:

• Operation Thunder 2022 resulted in 900 arrests and 2,200 seizures of protected wildlife and forestry products.
• The operation targeted timber and wildlife trafficking, which is a serious threat to global security.
• The operation was carried out by police, customs, and financial intelligence units from 125 countries.
• The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) regulates the international trade in nearly 40,000 imperiled species of animals and plants.
• The operation highlighted the need for global multi-stakeholder cooperation to effectively tackle transnational criminal networks.
• The International Consortium on Combating Wildlife Crime, CITES Secretariat, and Interpol played key roles in the operation.

Statistics:

• Total worldwide seizures of protected animals and plants by Operation Thunder 2022: 2,200.
• Number of seizures: Wildlife (1,190), plants and timber (4,728 cubic meters of rosewood).
• Species seized: Big cats (119), primates (34), pangolins (9), reptiles (1,795), birds (750), turtles and tortoises (1,190).
• Number of suspects identified: 934.

Sources:

• ENS News.
• Interpol.
• World Customs Organization.
• CITES Secretariat.
• International Consortium on Combating Wildlife Crime.

Note: All statistics and data are taken directly from the source material and are presented accurately and without embellishment.