Current:Home > reviewsHundreds of eggs, 53 primates, 660 pounds of ivory among items seized in global wildlife trafficking operation-LoTradeCoin
Hundreds of eggs, 53 primates, 660 pounds of ivory among items seized in global wildlife trafficking operation
lotradecoin token airdrop campaigns View Date:2024-12-25 12:32:13
Dozens of endangered animals were seized as part of a joint operation by Interpol and the World Customs Organization, officials announced Tuesday.
The seizures came as a result of more than 500 worldwide arrests throughout October, the agencies said in a joint news release, and more than 2,000 confiscations of protected animals and plants as part of an action called "Operation Thunder," an annual joint operation that combats wildlife crime. Officials in 133 countries worked together, the agencies said in the release, making it the largest such effort since the annual operation began in 2017.
Officials seized more than 1,370 live birds, a pangolin, two capped langur primates, two golden-handed tamarins, 53 other primates and thousands of turtle eggs, as well as 660 pounds of ivory, 30 tons of plants, dozens of big cat body parts and rhino horns, and more. Some of the items were smuggled in suitcases or passenger items, while others were transported through vehicles, boats and cargo transporters, the agencies said.
The plants and animals are protected under a treaty called the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species, or CITES, which was adopted in 1963 and protects endangered wildlife from illegal trade. Any trade performed "in breach of" the treaty is illegal, the agencies said.
The agencies said that results from the arrests are still coming in, but preliminary information shows that 60% of the cases were linked to international organized crime groups, which used "high levels of document fraud" to transport many of the items and animals. The operation also found that protected reptiles and marine life were being "exploited for luxury brand fashion," while online platforms were being used to sell some of the illegal goods.
"Important and endangered animals, birds and plants are being put at risk of extinction by wildlife and timber traffickers. These appalling crimes not only deprive the world of unique animals and plants but also countries of their natural assets and resources," said Jürgen Stock, the secretary general of Interpol. "The costs to communities are even greater ... almost all environmental crime has links to other forms of crime including violence, corruption and financial crime."
- In:
- Environment
- Illegal Wildlife Trafficking
Kerry Breen is a reporter and news editor at CBSNews.com. A graduate of New York University's Arthur L. Carter School of Journalism, she previously worked at NBC News' TODAY Digital. She covers current events, breaking news and issues including substance use.
TwitterveryGood! (82)
Related
- Supreme Court allows investors’ class action to proceed against microchip company Nvidia
- SZA stands out, Taylor Swift poised to make history: See the 2024 Grammy nominations list
- Algerian president names a new prime minister ahead of elections next year
- Missile fire from Lebanon wounds a utility work crew in northern Israel as the front heats up
- Taylor Swift makes history as most decorated artist at Billboard Music Awards
- Boise State fires coach Andy Avalos amid third straight season with at least four losses
- Why the Big Blanket Is Everything I’ve Ever Wanted and Needed in My Home
- Newly empowered Virginia Democrats nominate the state’s first Black House speaker, Don Scott
- New Jersey targets plastic packaging that fills landfills and pollutes
- Greece’s opposition Syriza party splits as several prominent members defect
Ranking
- Stock market today: Asian stocks are mixed ahead of key US inflation data
- The stomach-turning finish to a prep football team's 104-0 victory
- 'Fellow Travelers' is a queer love story with highs, lows, tops, and bottoms
- 'Fellow Travelers' is a queer love story with highs, lows, tops, and bottoms
- Trump taps immigration hard
- Dozens of migrants are missing after a boat capsized off Yemen, officials say
- 'The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes': Cast, trailer and when it hits theaters
- Suspect released in fatal stabbing of Detroit synagogue leader
Recommendation
-
East Coast storm makes a mess at ski resorts as strong winds cause power outages
-
New ‘joint employer’ rule could make it easier for millions to unionize - if it survives challenges
-
5 US service members die when helicopter crashes in Mediterranean training accident
-
SAG-AFTRA President Fran Drescher: AI protection was nearly 'deal breaker' in actors strike
-
I loved to hate pop music, until Chappell Roan dragged me back
-
The third of four men who escaped a Georgia jail in mid-October has been captured at an Augusta home
-
Main Gaza hospital goes dark during intense fighting; Netanyahu says no ceasefire possible until all hostages released
-
Biden says America’s veterans are ‘the steel spine of this nation’ as he pays tribute at Arlington