Global Wildlife Trafficking Operation Yields Major Seizures of Live Animals, Ivory, and Exotic Species

Interpol and the World Customs Organization conducted their annual Operation Thunder, seizing live animals including primates, big cats, and birds, as well as ivory, turtle eggs, rhino horns, leopard skins, and lion teeth and paws in a crackdown on wildlife and timber trafficking across 133 countries. Over 500 arrests were made, and more than 2,000 confiscations of animals and plants were carried out. The operation highlights the links between environmental crime and other forms of crime, emphasizing the role of customs in disrupting criminal networks through strict border controls and intelligence-sharing.