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.
Four suspected wildlife traffickers have been arrested in Nigeria following a complex operation supported by the Wildlife Justice Commission, resulting in the seizure of 130.84 kg of ivory.
Four suspected wildlife traffickers arrested and 130 kg of ivory seized in Nigeria Read more »
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As governments, policymakers, law enforcement agencies, and civil society organisations (CSOs) prepare to meet at the Thirty-Fifth Session of the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice (CCPCJ) in Vienna next week , the Wildlife Justice Commission calls for greater attention to financial investigations.
The world came to Samarkand, Uzbekistan, to learn from Nigeria’s experience. The occasion was CITES CoP20, the once-every-three-years global conference where governments decide how to protect endangered species by regulating international wildlife trade.
From transit hub to global model: How Nigeria gave pangolins a fighting chance Read more »
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On 3 March 2026, an operation unfolded in southern Madagascar that would strike at the heart of an international wildlife trafficking network. Acting on intelligence provided by Wildlife Justice Commission investigators.
Four young orangutans have been saved from the illegal wildlife trade through the work of the Wildlife Justice Commission, in close partnership with Thai law enforcement authorities. Rescued in Thailand in 2025, they have now been safely repatriated to Indonesia, where they will undergo rehabilitation before, one day, being returned to the wild.
Every year, as I prepare to write this end-of-year reflection, I find myself returning to the same feeling: deep pride in the impact the Wildlife Justice Commission has achieved, and deep gratitude for all those who stand with us. But this year is different. This year marks our 10th anniversary.
A decade of impact: Wildlife Justice celebrates 10 years of fighting wildlife crime Read more »
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One year ago, a Qatar Airways plane took off from Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport carrying an unusual cargo: hundreds of live turtles, tortoises, and lemurs, stolen from Madagascar’s forests and trafficked to Thailand. The “lemur flight” was repatriating these survivors of wildlife crime, returning them to the wild, to their home in Madagascar.
Lessons from the “Lemur Flight” Read more »
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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.
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.
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 »
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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 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 »
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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.
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.
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.
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 »
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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.
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.
