Countering Wildlife Trafficking in South and Southeast Asia

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Wildlife trafficking and environmental crimes are lucrative forms of transnational organized crime (TOC) that continue to decimate species populations, driving endangered species such as elephants, rhinos, pangolins towards extinction. Wildlife trafficking and crimes that affect the environment fuel corruption, threaten the rule of law and peace and security, spread disease, and destabilize communities that depend on wildlife for biodiversity and eco-tourism revenues. Criminal organizations are increasingly involved in this illicit trade, especially the illegal movement of wildlife from source countries to demand countries, such as the movement of ivory from Africa to South and Southeast Asia. Traffickers exploit porous borders and weak institutions to profit from trading in illegal wildlife and timber. Wildlife and wildlife products are transported through multilevel illicit networks of criminal intermediaries and government officials. South and Southeast Asia are key source, transit, and destination areas for illegal wildlife products. As these regions act as a lynchpin nexus of the global wildlife trafficking supply chain, any successful effort to stop the global scourge of wildlife trafficking must include South and Southeast Asia. To that end, funds will support work that increases the ability of South and Southeast Asia to counter wildlife trafficking (CWT). The ultimate goal of this program is to increase South and Southeast Asia’s will and ability to CWT and the criminal organizations that perpetrate these heinous crimes.

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