By Kotie Geldenhuys
Images courtesy of Diviantart, Pixabay and Pixels
Most people think that environmental or wildlife crimes are relatively isolated incidents, involving individual poachers or perhaps small groups of poachers who kill animals for profit. It is not a crime where animals are the sole victims as the reality is that wildlife crime is now recognised as the fourth largest illicit transnational activity in the world (TRAFFIC, nd). Wildlife crime is driven by extensive transnational crime syndicates, often the same organisations involved in other forms of organised crime such as human -, drug – and weapons trafficking. Like these other crimes, wildlife crime generates enormous profits that are laundered, contributing to financial crime on a global scale.
Over the past two decades, wildlife crime has transformed into a form of transnational organised crime, generating billions of dollars annually and affecting nearly every country. As the severity and profitability of wildlife crime have increased, so have reports of its intersection with other forms of organised crime. Both INTERPOL and TRAFFIC, also known as the Wildlife Trade Monitoring Network, have highlighted that environmental and wildlife crime is currently one of the largest and most lucrative crime sectors globally, continuing to expand and pushing many species towards extinction. The black market for illegal wildlife products, valued at as much as $20 billion annually, has made poaching and the illegal wildlife trade a significant focus for organised crime groups, often linked to armed violence, corruption and other criminal activities (INTERPOL, 2023).
*****************************
[This is only an extract of an article that is published in Servamus: September 2024. This article is available for purchase.]