Has "Operation Thunder*" Passed Cambodia By ?

[CEOCambodiaNews]

Global crackdown on illegal wildlife and timber trade: INTERPOL and World Customs Organization join forces
6 December 2022
A joint INTERPOL - World Customs Organization (WCO) law enforcement operation has seen hundreds of arrests and the disruption of wildlife and timber crime networks globally.

Codenamed “Thunder 2022”, the month-long (3-30 October) operation brought together police, customs, financial intelligence units, wildlife and forestry enforcement agencies from 125 countries - the largest number of countries to take part in a Thunder operation since the series started in 2017.

Through routine inspections and targeted controls, hundreds of parcels, suitcases, vehicles, boats and cargo transporters were examined, often with the use of sniffer dogs and X-ray scanners.

Searches at land and air border checkpoints focused on illegally traded species protected by national legislation or CITES.

CITES is an international agreement to ensure that trade in wild animals and plants does not threaten their survival. All trade performed in breach of CITES is illegal.

Seizures ranged from timber to live animals, as well as animal parts, bushmeat, and derivatives such as clothing, beauty products, food items, traditional medicines and handicrafts.
Indian Customs at Chennai Internatonal Airport: five live common spotted cuscus marsupials are seized from a passenger traveling from Thailand.
Indian Customs at Chennai Internatonal Airport seize 1,204 reptiles (iguanas, pythons, monitor lizards and tortoises) declared as “ornamental fish’ and packed in cardboard boxes sent from Malaysia.
Thailand Suvarnabhumi International Airport: Customs detain a man traveling with five live radiated tortoises concealed in his clothes. Radiated tortoises are a critically endangered species.
Thai Customs seize 114 turtles smuggled from Tanzania in a passenger’s luggage.
Thailand’s Suvarnabhumi Airport: Customs seize 81 Indian star tortoises hidden in food packaging packed in the luggage of a passenger traveling from India.
A total of 750 birds were seized during Operation Thunder 2022, including here in Pakistan where authorities intercept the smuggling of young birds of prey.
Through routine inspections and targeted controls, dozens of timber transporters were examined throughout Mongolia as part of Thunder 2022 global operations.

A powerful global alliance
Although operational results are still being reported, Operation Thunder 2022 has so far seen almost 2,200 seizures and the identification of 934 suspects, triggering a series of worldwide arrests and investigations linked to illegal trading, processing, exporting and importing of protected wildlife and forestry products.

In addition to the identification of 141 companies suspected of engaging in illegal sales, total worldwide seizures of protected animals and plants so far include:

Wildlife:

119 big cats and other felines
34 primates, 136 primate body parts
25 rhino horns
9 pangolins, 389 kg pangolin scales and derivatives
750 birds, more than 450 bird parts

With seizures reported in units, or total kg, according to national police practices, results also include:

Almost 780 kg and 516 pieces elephant ivory, and 27 elephant body parts
1,795 reptiles and almost half a tonne reptile parts and derivative products
4,337 and 2,813 kg marine products, including corals, eels and sea cucumbers
1,190 turtles and tortoises, 1,304 units and 8 kg body parts
More than a tonne and 17,081 units other wildlife, parts and derivatives.

Plants and timber:

47,28 m3 rosewood and 17,163 pieces
Almost 47,000 m3 and 6,764 pieces other timber
710 cacti, 125 and 1,706 kg orchids
Almost 3.5 tonnes and 7,815 units other plants
More than five tonnes and 3,945 units plant derivatives.


In Southern Africa, Namibian authorities intercepted large amounts of timber before they were smuggled into the region, with Angola arresting a citizen of the Asian region attempting to travel to Asia with rhino horns and ivory ornaments, and Malawi authorities seizing elephant tusks at the home of a man with Asian citizenship.

In Asia, Thailand reported several seizures of tortoises from East Africa and hundreds of live reptiles from Europe, whilst Indonesia made two large seizures of timber bound for the Middle East and Asia. India seized some 1,200 reptiles (iguanas, pythons, monitor lizards and tortoises) declared as “ornamental fish’ and packed in cardboard boxes.
In full: https://www.interpol.int/en/News-and-Ev ... oin-forces

*What is Operation Thunder ?
Operation Thunder began in 2017, since then it is conducted annually as a multilateral operation.
Since its inception “Thunder” operations have seen some 8,000 seizures of protected wildlife and forestry species and the arrest of more than 3,000 offenders.
Operation Thunder 2021 was the fifth operation of its kind which was by fat the largest with involvement of 118 countries.
It was initiated by the INTERPOL Wildlife Crime Working Group and coordinated jointly by the WCO and INTERPOL, with the backing of the CITES Secretariat and the International Consortium on Combating Wildlife Crime (ICCWC).