The Wildlife Justice Commission today launches The cost of cute: How you can fight the illegal pet trade, a practical guide to help people understand the illegal pet trade, spot animals being trafficked, and report this widespread and lesser-known form of crime.
The cost of cute: Wildlife Justice launches new guide to fight the illegal pet trade Read more »
Media releases News
In December 2025, 192 States Parties to the United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC) adopted Resolution 11/9 on Preventing and Combating Corruption as it relates to Crimes that Affect the Environment. Adopted by consensus, the resolution is the most comprehensive set of global anti-corruption commitments to date addressing corruption linked to crimes that affect the environment.
This week, the Wildlife Justice Commission joined with thousands of people from around the world to shape the future of conservation, as a participant in the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) World Conservation Congress (WCC), held from 9 to 15 October in Abu Dhabi. The WCC, which takes place every four years, brought together nearly 10,000 participants.
At IUCN Congress, Wildlife Justice joins global effort to shape future of conservation Read more »
News Political Will
The Wildlife Justice Commission published a new report examining whether wildlife trafficking is treated with the seriousness it deserves in national legal systems.
The report provides an assessment of how the UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (UNTOC) has been incorporated into domestic legislation, and how effectively it is being implemented to tackle wildlife trafficking.
Is wildlife trafficking being treated as serious crime? Read more »
2025 Publications
The Wildlife Justice Commission today published a new report examining whether wildlife trafficking is treated with the seriousness it deserves in national legal systems.
The report provides an assessment of how the UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (UNTOC) has been incorporated into domestic legislation, and how effectively it is being implemented to tackle wildlife trafficking.
Wildlife trafficking remains one of the most urgent threats to biodiversity today. Across continents, it undermines governance, fuels corruption, and drives species closer to extinction. While many species are trafficked, few are as prominent—or as endangered—as rhinos. Rhino horn trafficking is a form of organised crime, with sophisticated transnational networks linking poaching in Africa to consumer markets in Asia.
Rhino horn trafficking today: Intelligence insights and emerging trends Read more »
News
The Wildlife Justice Commission (WJC) and Nigeria’s National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) today signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen Nigeria’s response to organised wildlife crime.
The Wildlife Justice Commission (WJC) took part in the Third United Nations Ocean Conference, held in Nice from 9 to 13 June 2025. With over 60 Heads of State and Government and 15,000 participants in attendance, the UN Ocean Conference served as a pivotal platform for the WJC to draw global attention to a critical yet often overlooked threat: the trafficking of endangered and vulnerable marine species.
At the UN Oceans Conference in Nice, France, last week, the International Conservation Caucus Foundation UK, the Wildlife Justice Commission, the Environmental Justice Foundation, and the UN Office on Drugs and Crime convened a high-level roundtable at the UN Ocean Conference in Nice to spotlight a critical but under-addressed threat: crimes in the fisheries sector.
Confronting crime to protect our ocean Read more »
News Political Will
The Wildlife Justice Commission (WJC) took part in the 34th session of the UN Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice (CCPCJ), held in Vienna from 19 to 23 May 2025. As the United Nations’ main body on crime and justice, the CCPCJ offers a key platform to advance the global fight against wildlife and environmental crime.
The remarkable return of Madagascar’s lemurs and tortoises in late 2024 was a story of hope and resilience. That story now enters a new chapter—defined by justice, disruption, and accountability.
Wildlife trafficking remains one of the most urgent threats to biodiversity today. Across regions, species, and ecosystems, it continues to drive extinction, degrade governance, foster corruption, and fuel transnational criminal networks that often traffic not just wildlife, but also drugs, arms, and people.
How enforcement can give wildlife a fighting chance Read more »
News
We’re proud to share our latest report, Disruption and Disarray, which takes a deep dive into pangolin and ivory trafficking trends over the last decade —revealing a significant and sustained disruption in the flow of these products from Africa to Asia.
Rhino horn trafficking remains a severe problem that needs to be addressed with a new sense of urgency as transnational organised crime. Over the past 10 years, the illegal killing of rhinos and trafficking of their horns has grown as a global criminal enterprise, comprising multiple criminal components dominated by greed and the pursuit of substantial profits.
Disruption and Disarray: An analysis of pangolin scale and ivory trafficking 2015–2024 Read more »
2025 Publications
In a major strike against wildlife trafficking in Nigeria, the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), supported by the Wildlife Justice Commission (WJC), arrested five suspects and seized 3.765 tonnes of pangolin scales in Lagos, an amount estimated to represent the killing of over 1,900 pangolins.
In a significant victory against transnational wildlife crime, the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has announced the arrest of a suspected high-level Chinese wildlife trafficker in Lagos. Acting on intelligence provided by the Wildlife Justice Commission (WJC), NCS carried out the arrest on 19 February 2025. This operation represents a critical disruption to organised wildlife crime networks operating between Nigeria and Asia.
Imagine a time when wildlife traffickers operated with near impunity, when the illegal trade in endangered species was seen as a low-priority crime, and when the survival of some of our planet’s most iconic species hung in the balance.
A decade of impact: Taking down the kingpins of wildlife crime Read more »
News
On 5 December 2024, a major operation led by Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), with support from the Wildlife Justice Commission (WJC), has resulted in the arrest of a suspected pangolin scale broker and the seizure of 2.179 tonnes of pangolin scales, equivalent to approximately 1,100 pangolins.
2024 has been a transformative year for the Wildlife Justice Commission (WJC), marked by remarkable progress in our mission to disrupt and dismantle transnational criminal networks trafficking wildlife, timber, and fish.
2024 in review- A year of impact in the fight against wildlife crime Read more »
News
On a warm November day in 2024, a cargo plane touched down in Madagascar, carrying an extraordinary group of passengers: 759 radiated tortoises, 155 spider tortoises, 31 brown lemurs, and 16 ring-tailed lemurs.
The journey home: How lemurs and tortoises found their way back to Madagascar Read more »
Investigations News
Environmental crimes like wildlife trafficking have a devastating impact on every nation with far-reaching impacts on people and the planet, threatening biodiversity, destabilising ecosystems, and undermining international security.
The Wildlife Justice Commission actively participated in the UNTOC COP to urge States to prioritise the fight against crimes that affect the environment, particularly wildlife crime, and to collaborate with civil society and other partners in effectively addressing these urgent issues.
Advancing global action against crimes that affect the environment at UNTOC COP12 Read more »
News Political Will
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), with support from the Wildlife Justice Commission, successfully conducted two major operations on 8 August 2024, resulting in the combined seizure of over 9.4 tonnes of pangolin scales and arrests of four suspects. These operations mark a significant achievement in the ongoing efforts to dismantle wildlife trafficking networks in Nigeria.
In early 2024, the Wildlife Justice Commission launched a series of training and mentoring programs. These initiatives were designed to empower Mozambican law enforcement agencies, particularly SERNIC, in their efforts to disrupt organised wildlife trafficking networks.
Strengthening law enforcement capacity to combat wildlife crime in Mozambique Read more »
Capacity building News
In a significant victory against rhino horn trafficking, Simon Valoi, also known as “Navara”, and Paulo Zucula, two notorious figures in the illegal rhino horn trade, have been convicted and sentenced respectively to 27 and 24 years in prison in Mozambique.
In a coordinated effort, the Special Wildlife Investigations Unit (SWIU), supported by Focused Conservation and the Wildlife Justice Commission (WJC), successfully conducted a joint operation resulting in the arrest of four suspects and the seizure of 525 kilograms of pangolin scales in Monrovia, Liberia, on 10 July 2024.
Joint operation leads to four arrests and major seizure of pangolin scales in Liberia Read more »
Investigations Media releases News
In a significant blow to global wildlife trafficking, the South African Police Service (SAPS), acting on intelligence from the Wildlife Justice Commission, has arrested Vietnamese wildlife trafficker Nguyen Huu Tao and his associate, Nico Scoltz, for allegedly attempting to illegally sell lions.
The Wildlife Justice Commission was present at the 21st International Anti-Corruption Conference (IACC), the world’s largest anti-corruption forum that unites all sectors and movements to tackle the challenges that corruption poses to the global order, in Vilnius, Lithuania. Our aim in attending the conference was to raise awareness of the role of corruption in facilitating environmental crimes and to provide concrete recommendations to address these issues.
The Wildlife Justice Commission is thrilled to announce the publication of its 2023 Annual Report, highlighting a year of remarkable achievements. Throughout 2023, our unwavering commitment to disrupting transnational criminal networks involved in wildlife trafficking led to significant successes in countries such as Nigeria, South Africa, Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, and Malaysia, where we played a crucial role in facilitating substantial arrests.
The Wildlife Justice Commission publishes its 2023 Annual Report Read more »
News
In a landmark joint operation, the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), supported by the Wildlife Justice Commission has successfully arrested two major wildlife traffickers in Nigeria. These arrests are linked to the significant seizure of 1.58 tonnes of ivory at Lach Huyen International Port, Hai Phong, Vietnam on 27 March 2024.
The Wildlife Justice Commission’s participation at the 33rd session of the United Nations Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice (CCPCJ) in Vienna marked a pivotal step in advocating for enhanced global efforts to combat crimes that affect the environment, particularly wildlife trafficking.
Advancing the fight against crimes that affect the environment at the CCPCJ Read more »
News Political Will
In a significant blow to the illegal live pet trade, Thai law enforcement agencies, acting on intelligence provided by the Wildlife Justice Commission, have executed a significant operation on 1 May 2024. The operation resulted in the arrest of six suspects and the seizure of 1,076 radiated tortoises and 48 lemurs, concealed within 41 boxes and 11 cages respectively, while being transported in a four-vehicle convoy in Chumphon Province, Southern Thailand.
To shed light on the multifaceted challenges posed by illegal activities in our oceans, the Wildlife Justice Commission and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) co-organised a Satellite Event titled “From Surviving to Thriving: Combatting Crimes in the Fisheries Sector for Healthy and Resilient Oceans”, as part of the UN Ocean Decade Week.
The trial of two suspects accused of orangutan trafficking concluded in Indonesia on 26 February 2024 with a significant conviction. They had been arrested as a result of a joint investigation by the Wildlife Justice Commission and the INP aimed at dismantling orangutan supplier networks operating from Indonesia to Thailand.
Demonstrating the ongoing commitment of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) to combat wildlife crime, three suspected wildlife traffickers were apprehended in Nigeria on 4 February 2024, with a fourth arrest made on 6 February 2024. This successful operation was a joint intelligence-led investigation by the NCS and the Wildlife Justice Commission, targeting illicit wildlife supplier networks.
Arrest of four wildlife traffickers in joint operation with Nigeria Customs Service Read more »
Investigations Media releases News
2023 was an outstanding year for the Wildlife Justice Commission, marked by significant achievements. Our unwavering commitment to disrupt and help dismantle transnational criminal networks involved in wildlife trafficking led to notable successes in countries such as Nigeria, Mozambique, Indonesia, and Malaysia, where we played a crucial role in facilitating substantial arrests. We considerably extended our global reach and continued sharing our expertise with law enforcement, policy makers, and practitioners worldwide.
Reaching new milestones against wildlife crime in 2023 Read more »
News
The Wildlife Justice Commission is dedicated to advocating for solutions to address corruption. In pursuit of this objective, we participated in the 10th session of the United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC) Conference of the States Parties (CoSP) in Atlanta last week.
The Wildlife Justice Commission is launching a new podcast in the Wildlife Kingpin series. Following on from “Wildlife Kingpin: The Rise and Fall of Ah Nam”, comes “Operation Dragon”. This second series sheds light on the investigation conducted by the Wildlife Justice Commission that brought to justice some of the biggest turtle and tortoise traffickers in Southeast Asia.
The Wildlife Justice Commission is proud to be one of the 301 civil society organizations and experts from 99 countries across the globe signed an open letter urging the states that have ratified the United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC) to adopt a Resolution at the 10th UNCAC Conference of States Parties (CoSP 10) taking place next month in Atlanta, United States.
301 civil society organizations and experts from 99 countries across the globe signed an open letter urging the states that have ratified the United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC) to adopt a Resolution at the 10th UNCAC Conference of States Parties (CoSP 10) taking place next month in Atlanta, United States.
This report builds on our first crime convergence report, published in 2021, which analysed a set of 12 case studies, and illustrated the varied ways that wildlife crime can overlap or intersect with other serious and organised crimes.
As wildlife trafficking has grown to become a more serious and profitable crime type during the past two decades, there is also mounting evidence of the increased involvement of organised crime groups and cases where wildlife crime is committed in conjunction with other forms of serious and organised crime.
Convergence of wildlife crime with other forms of organised crime: A 2023 Review Read more »
2023 Publications
In a joint intelligence-led operation with the Wildlife Justice Commission, the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) Special Wildlife Office and the Enforcement Team has arrested Mr Felix Maiva on 28 September. Mr Maiva was arrested in connection with the January 2021 seizure of illegal wildlife products from Apapa Port, Nigeria, which was bound for Haiphong, Vietnam.
The Wildlife Justice Commission is pleased to announce that is is expanding its global reach by establishing a presence in the United States of America. This expansion aims to further our mission of disrupting and helping to dismantle the transnational criminal networks trading in wildlife, timber, and fish.
The Wildlife Justice Commission expands its global reach and international presence Read more »
News
Teo Boon Ching, one of the largest wildlife traffickers operating across the world, has been convicted of wildlife trafficking in the United States District Court, Southern District of New York, and sentenced to 18 months of imprisonment.
Today, the BBC has published a special report highlighting the work of the Wildlife Justice Commission in Nigeria and the successes it has achieved in disrupting the trafficking of wildlife from the country, in partnership with the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS). The report features an interview with the Wildlife Justice Commission’s Director of Programs Steve Carmody and Van, one of our female undercovers.
On Wednesday 19 July, the trial of three Vietnamese and one Guinean national accused of trafficking 7.1 tonnes of pangolin scales and 850 kgs of ivory concluded in Nigeria with the conviction of the four accused. The judge of the Federal High Court of Nigeria in Lagos sentenced the accused to six years of imprisonment each or payment of fines in lieu of imprisonment.
Last week, in Port Klang, Malaysia, the Wildlife Justice Commission supported the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) in an operation targeting corrupt customs and other members of an international wildlife trafficking network with the support of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in Thailand.
The Wildlife Justice Commission’s report focuses on the role of corruption as one of the most important enabling factors behind wildlife crime, in an attempt to bring more clarity to this murky subject.
Dirty Money: The Role of Corruption in Enabling Wildlife Crime Read more »
2023 Publications WIldlife Crime Report
Since the creation of the Wildlife Justice Commission in 2015, a constant that has been observed in all intelligence-led investigations into wildlife trafficking across the globe is the role of corruption in enabling this form of organised crime. Corruption is the air that wildlife crime breathes; it is one of the key enablers of widespread and large-scale wildlife trafficking and one of the biggest obstacles to effective law enforcement.
New report sheds light on the key role of corruption in enabling wildlife crime Read more »
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