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 »
Investigations News
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.
‘Seizure’, a powerful new documentary short film offering an undercover look at the fight against wildlife trafficking, will premiere 9 Dec. 2025 at 19:00 CET on the Wildlife Justice Commission’s YouTube channel.
Award-Winning ‘Seizure’ Debuts 9 December Read more »
News Seizure
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 »
Investigations News
‘Seizure’, a powerful new documentary short film offering an undercover look at the fight against wildlife trafficking, will premiere 9 Dec. 2025 at 19:00 CET on the Wildlife Justice Commission YouTube channel.
‘Seizure’ goes undercover in the world of wildlife trafficking Read more »
News
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
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.
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 Vietnamese Environmental Police successfully arrested a suspect and seized 207 kg of ivory in Hanoi.
Vietnamese Environmental Police seize 207 kg of ivory in Hanoi Read more »
News
