KUCHING, 11 Feb: A joint operation between Malaysian authorities and the International Criminal Police Organisation (INTERPOL) dubbed Operation Golden Strike had resulted in the seizures of 50 rhino horns arriving illegally in Malaysia from Mozambique.
During the eight-week operation, South African and Malaysian law enforcement officers also arrested and prosecuted two suspects for trafficking 45 kilogrammes of rhino horns between the two countries, a statement issued by INTERPOL reported.
Most of the animals that were seized were protected under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna (CITES).
It should be noted that the exact number of samples seized has not been confirmed yet but currently, it is said to include 1,202 ivory pieces, 42 shark teeth, 33 red corals, 1,336 other CITES-protected species, and live animals, namely three turtles and tortoises, as well as more than 120 birds.
A total of 23 participating countries, including Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand, shared intelligence ahead of the operation to enable investigators to pick out emerging wildlife trafficking routes in the countries involved.
A tactical phase was administered throughout August until September 2021, in which officers carried out intensive inspections at border points for land, air, and sea transportation.
INTERPOL’s Director of Organised and Emerging Crime, Ilana de Wild, said the world’s fourth-largest illegal trade – wildlife and forestry crimes – runs hand in hand with other illegal activities, like tax evasion, corruption, money laundering and murder.
“These organised crime groups are smuggling protected wildlife using similar routes that are used to traffic humans, weapons, drugs and other illegal products.
“Strong and coordinated responses, such as Operation Golden Strike, are needed to address the activities of transnational organised crime groups involved in wildlife crimes, and to disrupt illegal trade chains across range, transit and destination sets,” she said in INTERPOL’s statement.
Operation Golden Strike, which ended late last year, was funded by the Chinese government as part of an initiative with INTERPOL to combat wildlife crimes and trafficking across Asia and Africa.
Amidst the global pandemic, INTERPOL had also reported a shift from physical to digital wildlife markets as investigations had relayed wildlife crimes being active on e-commerce platforms and social media as well as in WhatsApp groups.
As a result, Thailand had shut down approximately 12 sites while 20 other sites are still undergoing further investigations. – TVS
