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A structured group of three or more persons In order to obtain financial or material benefit

Transnational Organized Crime and the Illegal Wildlife Trade Jorge Eduardo Rios Coordinator, UNODC Anti-Wildlife and Forest Crime Programme ADB Symposium on Combating Wildlife Crime 10 March 2013.

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A structured group of three or more persons In order to obtain financial or material benefit

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  1. Transnational Organized Crime and the Illegal Wildlife TradeJorge Eduardo RiosCoordinator, UNODC Anti-Wildlife and Forest Crime ProgrammeADB Symposium on Combating Wildlife Crime10 March 2013

  2. What is a transnational organized crime? United Nations Convention on Transnational Organized Crime A structured group of three or more persons In order to obtain financial or material benefit These crimes are planned/committed in more than one country Acting together with the aim of committing one or more serious crime (max. deprivation of 4 years)

  3. Thank you! Jorge Eduardo Rios UNODC Anti-Wildlife and Forest Crime Programme Jorge.rios@unodc.org

  4. Trafficking in elephant ivory • January 2013: Hong Kong Customs seized 779 tusks (1,000 kg, worth $1.5m), smuggled by sea from Kenya via Malaysia. • September 2011: Malaysia Customs seized 695 tusks originated in Tanzania and directed to China.

  5. Trafficking in rhino horns • November 2011. Hong Kong Customs seized 33 horns from South Africa, directed to China or Vietnam

  6. What drives this trade? High demand (ornament, traditional medicines, status) wealthy markets in Asia, Europe, USA, Middle East No stigma associated to consumption Low risk of detection and conviction, low penalties High revenues for the traders: Poverty and lack of alternative livelihoods drives poaching in countries of origin

  7. Who are the smugglers? Various nationalities involved Traders with specialized knowledge Large use of middlemen/facilitators Poachers are often occasional actors Underground role of retailers Complicit public officials

  8. How is the smuggling conducted? Trans-boundary in nature Not one mafia, but many networks Highly dynamic and competitive Sophisticated concealment and disguise techniques Increasing role of internet High level corruption (white-collar crime)

  9. Benefits of considering wildlife crime a “serious” crime? Higher level of penalties acting as deterrent (wildlife crime is a low risk/high profit-crime) Higher level of convictions Increased sophistication of investigative techniques (electronic surveillance e.g. telephone tapping) Increased level of international cooperation (both law enforcement and judiciary)

  10. Conclusions Illegal Wildlife Trade is a transnational organized crime Wildlife Crime has to be considered as a serious crime Adequate legislation, highly trained judiciary and prosecution are required Front line officers need support transnational organized crime requires a coordinated transnational response--International Consortium on Combating Wildlife Crime (ICCWC)

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