More than 175 tonnes of illegal timber in transit have been seized, which amounts to the largest-ever operation against wildlife and timber trafficking by Interpol and the World Customs Organization (WCO). Dubbed ‘Operation Thunder,’ the timber – the largest portion of the seizure – was traced from Asia via ocean freight to Indonesia (134 tonnes) and Kenya (41 tonnes).
In addition, “authorities also investigated online activities and found suspects using multiple profiles and linked accounts across social media platforms and marketplaces to expand their reach,” according to Interpol. Besides timber, more than 20,000 live animals, including 18 big cats, 12,427 birds, 12 pangolins, 33 primates, and reptiles (including 5,877 turtles and 1,731 other assorted reptiles) were rescued, with hundreds and thousands of protected animal parts and derivatives trees, plants, marine life, and arthropods tied up in the sting.
“Authorities also arrested 365 suspects and identified six transnational criminal networks suspected of trafficking animals and plants protected by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES),” Interpol said, with the operation jointly conducted with police offices, customs and border control officials from 138 different countries and regions.
“Organised crime networks are profiting from the demand for rare plants and animals, exploiting nature to fuel human greed,” said Valdecy Urquiza, Interpol’s Secretary General. “This has far-reaching consequences: it drives biodiversity loss, destroys communities, contributes to climate change, fuels conflict and instability.”
WCO Secretary General Ian Saunders said a cooperation mechanism to facilitate the exchange of information and intelligence has been established in addition to refining enforcement strategies that address the crime, which is often not a priority for many security agencies: “The illegal wildlife trade is still rapidly growing, highly lucrative, and has devastating effects. The WCO remains committed to supporting members and partners in combating this serious crime.”
Hiding in plain sight: Black market timber is great business for organised crime.
Last year, Wood Central reported that a surge in black-market timber – now the world’s third most lucrative trade for organising crime was infiltrating European and North American supply chains – leading the UN Office on Drugs and Crime to claim “forest crime has all the hallmarks of organised and sophisticated crime” and is “fertile ground for corruption.”
According to Interpol, the trade could be worth up to $150 billion a year (between 15% and 30% of the total value of global forest products), with high returns and low prosecution rates, making it a great business for organised crime. “In the past year alone, 120 million tons of European timber had no official certificate of origin,” according to a report by DW Europe in 2023, with the National Whistleblower Center reporting that “23 to 30% of hardwood traded globally come from illegal logging.”
“That’s because criminals manipulate paperwork and complex supply chains to cheat border checks, certifications, and regulations, according to a new report from the Financial Times yesterday, which reports that World Forest ID, now working with governments and the world’s largest timber consumers, including IKEA, is cracking the code on illegal logging, using timber testing to kill off the multi-billion-dollar racket forever.
- To learn more about the global trade in timber trafficking, click here for Wood Central’s special feature.