Category: Wildlife Trafficking

Environmental crimes are often hidden by ‘flying money’ laundering schemes (commentary)

Money Laundering, Wildlife Trafficking
In the Tang dynasty, Chinese merchants began buying rice on credit with a system that relied on trust and trade to sidestep the authorities — and taxes — to deliver goods immediately. In China it’s called, feiqian, and across the Middle East and South Asia, it’s known as hawala. These days it’s about more than rice. It’s called “flying money,” and it’s the tool for concealing financial crimes: tax-free remittances, washing dirty money, even funding terror and concealing wildlife crime. “Flying money is often used to denote Chinese money laundering or paying in-kind with a commodity instead of cash,” explains…

FinCEN Analysis Reveals Upward Trend of SARs Related to Wildlife Trafficking

Wildlife Trafficking
WASHINGTON — The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) today released a Financial Threat Analysis on wildlife trafficking threat patterns and trend information identified in Bank Secrecy Act (BSA) data. The report aims to further inform efforts to combat wildlife trafficking and the associated movement of illicit proceeds, which are estimated to be between $7 and $23 billion per year and account for a quarter of all wildlife trade. Wildlife trafficking is a major transnational organized crime that fuels corruption, threatens biodiversity, damages fragile ecosystems, and can have a significant negative impact on public health and the economy. It involves the…

South Africa Arrests “World’s Most Wanted” Rhino Horn Poachers

Wildlife Trafficking
A rumored aphrodisiac. A cure for cancer and hangovers. A symbol of status and wealth. This is the value and function of rhino horns in Southeast Asia—and what drives its highly lucrative, and highly illegal, trade. South Africa arrested last week two of the biggest names in the industry, Johannes Groenewald – known as Dawie – and Schalk Steyn – known as AB Steyn. For more than a decade, the two were considered rhino horn kingpins and have been cashing in on this market, where rhinos can sell for up to US$30,000. South Africa’s crime investigation team – the Hawks…

Latest analysis exposes financial underbelly of global wildlife crime

Wildlife Trafficking
The Case Digest- An Initial Analysis of the Financial Flows and Payment Mechanisms Behind Wildlife and Forest Crime, provides a thorough examination of the financial data from more than 40 wildlife crime cases from across the globe, including 11 detailed case studies. The report is a product of years of unprecedented collaboration between participating government agencies, financial intelligence units, non-governmental organisations and other sector experts. Download report (pdf) Key FindingsTRAFFIC, together with its key partner UNODC canvassed the globe for cases, with valuable contributions from leading financial crime partners, to identify examples where financial investigation was conducted to analyse and…