Drugs,animals, weapons and people are among the most heavily trafficked beings and things in the world.
According to People Magazine a month long seizure has rescued thousands of animals, recovered many animal body cparts plus illegally trafficked plants and wood.
People magazine reported:
“According to a release from Interpol, the mission, which took place from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15, saw authorities across 134 countries carry out Operation Thunder 2025, a joint initiative led by Interpol and the World Customs Organization (WCO), with the support of partners from the International Consortium on Combating Wildlife Crime. The operation resulted in 4,640 seizures worldwide, the identification of approximately 1,100 suspects, and the interception of massive quantities of protected wildlife, plants, animal parts and illegally logged timber.”
Interpol, the International Criminal Police Organization, was founded in Austria in 1923. Today it serves as a clearinghouse and support agency against major worldwide crime. A total of 134 nations participated in the recent raids. In the United States the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) ,operating through its Office of Law Enforcement , is tasked with stemming wildlife crime.
According to People authorities fear the crime triangle – guns, drugs and human trafficking is increasingly interrelated and is adding wildlife and plant life among its victims. Creatures as small as tarantulas are being trafficked. This is placing strains on the survival of some of the arachnids. Drug lords such as the late Pablo Escobar have worked in all aspects of the illegal triangle. Escobar was notorious for bringing hippos to Colombia. His four “pets” were released after his death and the number steadily grew. Close to 200 are present now causing considerable damage to the local ecosystem. The Colombian government is faced with expensive or unpopular control measures. The fear is that left unchecked the number could balloon to around 1,000 in 10 years.