Record-breaking wildlife seizures by Operation Thunder underline importance of international security collaboration
Interpol have confirmed the seizure of nearly 20,000 live animals – all endangered or protected species – in an operation that involved intelligence gathering across 138 countries.
Operation Thunder 2024 brought together police, customs, border control, forestry and wildlife officials, marking the widest participation since the operation began in 2017, resulting in 365 arrests and identification of six transnational criminal networks.
The illegal trade in wild species is one of the most profitable criminal activities in the world, estimated to be worth up to $23 billion each year – with virtually every country involved.
The fundamentally cross-border nature of wildlife trafficking, increasingly wrapped up with crime involving drugs, arms, and even humans, underlines the critical importance of international collaboration between law enforcement teams.
Chris Jagger, TRAFFIC’s law enforcement specialist, said:
We applaud our colleagues at Interpol and beyond for their dedicated work stopping these criminal gangs in their tracks. This kind of operation relies on true collaboration. International organised crime is exactly that – organised and international. In response, law enforcement teams need to maintain even better networks across borders to give themselves an advantage.”
The TWIX platform (Trade in Wildlife Information Exchange), first established by TRAFFIC 20 years ago, is one of the important tools for fighting wildlife crime and is designed to give law enforcement agents the upper hand over organised criminal gangs.
TWIX connects law enforcement and management officials in a secure environment across agencies and borders, so that members can flag suspicious activity and seek advice. With more than 3,114 members across 71 countries and 386 agencies, TWIX has a track record in generating connections leading to multiple investigations and subsequent prosecutions.
Speaking about how TWIX was used during Operation Thunder, one Senior Law Enforcement and Intelligence Officer based in West Africa said:
We are pleased to have contributed intelligence and investigative support to the Interpol Operation Thunder. The TRAFFIC TWIX platform for networking across law enforcement, and the recent expert training in how to address the illegal wildlife trade, provided by TRAFFIC staff, were very useful to us during this operation."
About INTERPOL Environmental Crime Programme
• Leads global and regional operations to dismantle the criminal networks behind environmental crime using intelligence-driven policing;
• Coordinates and develops international law enforcement best practice manuals, guides and other resources;
• Provides environmental law enforcement agencies with access to our services by enhancing their links with INTERPOL National Central Bureaus;
• Works with the Environmental Crime Committee to shape the Programme's strategy and direction.
