“It is not enough to have the information: we need to understand what it means. That’s where the analysis and intelligence come in – and that is where the information becomes a powerful instrument that makes it harder for wildlife traffickers to get away with crime.”
Intelligence Analysis
Bridging the Intelligence Gap
Intelligence analysis is the driving force of the Wildlife Justice Commission’s work. Our Intelligence Development Unit collects, collates, and analyses information on wildlife and fisheries crime. We use this analysis to create tactical, operational, and strategic intelligence assessments for our own investigations, and we share our insights with law enforcement agencies, key decision-makers, and other allies, helping to map out an intelligence picture across borders.
Intelligence analysis is an important force multiplier when faced with a problem as vast, urgent, and under-resourced as wildlife crime. It helps to strategically identify the greatest criminal threat, allowing investigations to focus their efforts where they can have the greatest impact.
Intelligence must form part of any overarching strategy to tackle wildlife and fisheries crime.
The work of our Intelligence Development Unit goes beyond merely connecting the dots. Their intelligence analysis assessments help to:
- Understand behaviours of criminal networks to better disrupt and prevent their crimes;
- Transform information into actionable intelligence;
- Break down silos through cross-border intelligence sharing, a crucial aspect of tackling transnational organised crime.
The work is data-driven, employing specialised analytical techniques to gain actionable insights in the fight for wildlife justice. This in-house team of intelligence analysts is the largest of its kind in a non-profit setting, capable of providing real-time, strategic insights, reports, services, and intelligence to law enforcement agencies and the relevant authorities on the ground.
Using intelligence analysis in Southeast Asia
How Criminal Intelligence Can Help Save the Pangolin from Extinction
Our Director of Intelligence, Sarah Stoner, spoke at TEDxVitosha in November 2021 about the role of intelligence analysis in the fight against wildlife trafficking, using the trafficking of pangolins as an example of how organised crime is impacting our environment.
