Organized crime fuels wildlife trade in the Amazon

Transnational criminal organizations (TCOs) are using corruption as a technique to smuggle wildlife in the Amazon, putting environmental organizations and authorities in Latin America on high alert to strengthen measures aimed at combating these criminal practices, the conservation platform said. Monga Bay reported in June.

“Wildlife trafficking is the third largest organized crime worldwide, after drugs and weapons,” said Argentine expert on international relations and security issues Luis Somoza. Dialogue on July 23.

According to Monga BaySmugglers alter all kinds of documentation, from export permits to microchips, to give their activities an air of legality.

There have been multiple reports of bribes on transit routes leaving Brazil, including from government officials responsible for wildlife protection, the report said.

“In recent years, criminal gangs have been active in illegally trafficking wildlife from Latin America to the rest of the world,” Somoza said. “In many cases, these operations are directed to Asian countries, particularly China.”

In his May report Wildlife launderingThe Brazilian foundation Transparency International has revealed that TCOs use elaborate smuggling techniques, including fraud and corruption of officials.

“It is shocking to see how these criminal organizations are structured,” said Dário Cardoso, a wildlife trade analyst and co-author of the report, published in 2011. Monga Bay“There are the typical suspects who collect, transport and trade wild animals, but there are also individuals who specialize in forging and altering documents, giving the whole operation an aura of legality.”

According to a report by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), at least 65 species of wildlife were trafficked by air in Latin America, the Caribbean and 53 other countries around the world between 2010 and 2020. These species include birds, reptiles, marine animals and mammals, Colombian magazine week reported.

“Wildlife trafficking is a problem that we have been dealing with in the region for centuries and the high biodiversity of our countries exposes us to this risk,” Yovana Murillo, manager of the wildlife trade program for the Andes, Amazon and Orinoco regions of the US-based nongovernmental organization Wildlife Conservation Society, told week.

Human trafficking organizations need a lot of money for smuggling operations. “We have seen many cases in the Amazon where drug trafficking is financing the illegal trade of wildlife,” Melina Risso, research director of the Brazilian think tank Instituto Igarapé, dedicated to environmental conservation, told Monga Bay.

Peru21 news site reported that the wildlife trade is also affecting the Peruvian Amazon. For example, the Belén market in Iquitos, which serves a population of 400,000 people, is the largest and most important open market for the sale of wildlife in the Peruvian Amazon.

According to Peru21This market is the epicenter of the illegal wildlife trade in the Amazon, where more than 200 species are traded, 9 percent of which are endangered and 35 percent have declining wild populations.

The clandestine wildlife trade is leaving a devastating mark on Peru’s rich biological diversity. From jaguars to delicate orchids, no species is safe from the maelstrom of illegal trade, Peruvian News Agency Andina reported.

Among the most common victims are the yellow-spotted turtle, the yellow-footed turtle and the iconic Titicaca frog, all of which are captured to satisfy the exotic pet market. Andina reported.

“It must be clear that Latin America and the Caribbean are two areas of biodiversity and that these transnational criminal groups are preying on natural resources,” Somoza said. “There are public reports of high Chinese demand, driven by traditional medicine and unfounded beliefs, which has led to a vast network of illegal groups operating in the region and smuggling wildlife into China.”

From 2012 to early 2018, more than 800 jaguars were killed in Central and South America for their teeth, skin and skulls and then smuggled to China. National Geographic reported.

According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Global Wildlife Crime Report 2024While there are positive signs that trade in some iconic species has declined due to the dismantling of major smuggling networks and the suppression of demand in key markets, the overall picture for thousands of protected plants and animals remains bleak.

“Wildlife crime causes untold damage to nature and also threatens livelihoods, public health, good governance and the planet’s ability to combat climate change,” said Ghada Waly, UNODC Executive Director.

For Somoza, it is essential to develop cross-border and cooperative security strategies in the Amazon, as environmental crime knows no borders.

“We must increase police cooperation and intelligence sharing between countries in the region to combat these types of criminal actions, which harm wildlife and the people who live in the Amazon,” he concluded.