#operation thunder

Almost 30,000 live animals have been seized following a global operation against the illegal trafficking of wild fauna and flora. Following months of preparation, law enforcement agencies, including police, border security, and wildlife authorities from 134 countries, shared intelligence to identify and disrupt “sophisticated” criminal networks. Known as Operation Thunder, and coordinated by INTERPOL and the World Customs Organisation (WCO), the collective effort saw a record-breaking 4,460 seizures from 15 September to 15 October. This includes tens of thousands of protected animals and plants and tens of thousands of cubic metres of illegally logged timber, as well as more than 30 tonnes of endangered species of wild fauna and flora. A staggering 1,100 suspects were identified. Inside Operation Thunder’s latest sting The investigation found record-high levels of live animals being smuggled across borders were mainly driven by the growing demand for exotic pets. This includes authorities in Qatar arresting an individual attempting to sell an endangered primate for $14,000 (approximately €11,967) on social media. However, most wildlife trafficking involves animal remains, parts and derivatives that are used in traditional medicine and speciality foods – with the sting revealing the “escalating” trade of bushmeat(exotic wild animals that have been killed for their meat).