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Date: April 29, 2024 Mon

Time: 9:05 pm

Results for illegal trade

202 results found

Author: Martin, Esmond

Title: The ivory markets of East Asia

Summary: This monograph reports on a survey of the ivory trade in four East Asian nations and one Special Administrative Region: China, Japan, Taiwan, South Korea and Hong Kong. The purpose of the survey was to establish a set of baseline indicators on aspects of the trade in the selected countries. From this, conservationists will be able to monitor and evaluate future changes, in accordance with CITES Resolution Conf 10.10 (Rev.). The target users are national government officers, nongovernment organizations (NGOs) involved in wildlife conservation, and CITES officials. The information in this report can be used to assess the effectiveness of policies, laws and enforcement activities related to ivory trading nationally and internationally. The data can also be used to infer the demand for illegal ivory, which is correlated with elephant poaching. Two investigators working independently between March and May and in December 2002 carried out the surveys. Martin visited Japan and Hong Kong while Stiles covered China, South Korea and Taiwan. The main findings were: - Over 54,000 ivory items were seen in 413 retail outlets in the 11 cities visited. - Hong Kong had by far the most (35,884), followed by China (9,096 in three cities) and then Japan (7,565 in two cities). Taiwan (1,849 in four cities) and South Korea (36 in Seoul) had small quantities of ivory items. - Japan has the most active legal ivory carving industry in East Asia. Most ivory is used to make name seals (~80%), followed by musical instrument parts (10%). - Almost all Japan's worked ivory production is bought locally and stays in Japan. - The most expensive raw and worked ivory is in Japan. Beijing, China, has intermediately expensive worked ivory, while Guangzhou, Shanghai, Hong Kong and Taiwanese cities have roughly comparable, lower prices of worked ivory. - China has emerged as the main ivory manufacturing centre for all Asia, surpassing Hong Kong and Japan. Often with the involvement of Hong Kong businessmen, smuggling rings import African ivory, process it, and re-export it through Hong Kong and Macau to Europe, Japan, North America, Singapore and Thailand (the order of importance is unknown). China is probably also the only country in East Asia that has more worked ivory retail outlets now than in 1990. - China had the largest illegal ivory industry in East Asia and was the main destination of illicit African ivory in 2002. Small, private ivory workshops have replaced the larger, governmentowned factories since 1990. These arc unlicensed to deal with ivory and are therefore illegal. Most are located in Guangdong Province. They often use mammoth ivory, bone and stone as cover for elephant ivory working and exports. - Foreigners buy most of China's ivory items. They purchase it either in China or in neighbouring countries. Chinese nationals have been increasing their share of ivory purchases since 1990 as the economy grows. - Both Taiwan and South Korea were primarily transit and/or processing and re-export centres for ivory in the 1 980s and 1 990s. Today the ivory industry of Taiwan is dying and it is already dead in South Korea because of lower global demand for ivory products and increased government law enforcement. - The main buyers of East Asian worked ivory are ethnic Chinese of various nationalities and Japanese. Europeans and Americans also continue to buy worked ivory in Asia. - The internal ivory markets of all the countries surveyed have declined considerably since the CITES ivory international trade ban in 1990. The number of ivory craftsmen has plummeted in East Asia from about 2,200 in 1989 to fewer than 300 in 2002. Hong Kong, Taiwan and South Korea have no full-time ivory carvers. - The CITES-approved raw ivory sales to Japan from southern Africa in 1999 were not seen as important by ivory dealers outside Japan. Non-Japanese traders interviewed did not think it heralded a relaxing of the international ivory trade ban. Most ivory business people in East Africa were pessimistic about the future of the industry. Taiwanese vendors of worked ivory (the only ones interviewed after the CITES 12th Conference of the Parties in 2002) were not even aware that a second one-off southern African ivory auction had been approved for 2004, subject to certain conditions. - East Asian ivory business people attribute the decline in the industry to the activities of Western conservationists and journalists, which have resulted in a significant drop in Western buyers, who previously were the principal customers. They do not see this situation as susceptible to change. - In recent years East Asian governments have begun to pay more attention to controlling the ivory trade. China and Taiwan, in particular, have introduced new laws and have increased efforts to stop illegal ivory imports and to prosecute smugglers. - More needs to be done by East Asian governments to control effectively the ivory trade and to implement recommendations made in CITES Resolution 10.10 (Rev. CoP 12) and CITES Resolution 12.39.

Details: London: Save the Elephants, 2003, 112p.

Source: Internet Source: Accessed April 13, 2018 at: http://www.traffic.org/publications/the-ivory-markets-of-east-asia.html?no_redirect=true

Year: 2003

Country: United Kingdom

URL: http://www.traffic.org/publications/the-ivory-markets-of-east-asia.html?no_redirect=true

Shelf Number: 116671

Keywords:
Asia
Illegal
Illegal Hunting
Illegal trade
Ivory
Poaching
Transnational Crime

Author: Dreyfus, Pablo

Title: Tracking the Guns: International Diversion of Small Arms to Illicit Markets in Rio de Janeiro

Summary: This report outlines some of the possible means by which foreign made small arms and light weapons were diverted from legal trade into illicit markets in Brazil.

Details: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil: Viva Rio; Oslo, Norway: International Peace Research Institute, 2006. 92p.

Source:

Year: 2006

Country: Brazil

URL:

Shelf Number: 113854

Keywords:
Illegal Trade
Weapons

Author: TRAFFIC North America

Title: Wildlife Trade Control: CAFTA-DR Regional Gap Analysis Report

Summary: The trade in wild plants and animals is a complex and challenging issue, which many governments and organizations internationally have struggled with to reduce illegal and unsustainable elements. The countries that have signed the Central America - Dominican Republic - United States Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA-DR) are no exception to this challenge. There is a clear need to understand the drivers of illegal and unsustainable trade in wildlife to formulate approaches to improve the capacity of government authorities to enforce existing laws and regulations in a coordinated manner. This project undertook analyses of the best approaches to strengthen capacity at local, national and regional levels to improve the implementation of existing wildlife laws.

Details: Washington, DC: World Wildlife Fund, 2009. 59p.

Source:

Year: 2009

Country: United States

URL:

Shelf Number: 118227

Keywords:
Illegal Trade
Offenses Against the Environment
Wildlife (Laws and Legislation)

Author: PriceWaterhouseCoopers

Title: Illegal Tobacco Trade: Costing Australia Millions. Strategies to Curb the Supply and Use of Illegal Tobacco Products

Summary: Latest intelligence shows that the illegal tobacco market remains a serious problem in australia, with an estimated 1.8 million kilograms of illegal tobacco in circulation in 2007. In addition to identifying the scope of the illegal tobacco market in Australia, this report provides meaningful options for regulatory intervention to prevent illegal tobacco trade.

Details: Sydney: PriceWaterhouseCoopers, 2007. 55p.

Source:

Year: 2007

Country: Australia

URL:

Shelf Number: 118333

Keywords:
Chop Chop Cigarettes
Illegal Tobacco
Illegal Trade
Smuggling (Tobacco, Australia)

Author: Johnson, Paul

Title: Cost Benefit Analysis of the FCTC Protocol on Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products

Summary: Illicit trade in tobacco products is a serious global problem. It contributes to high mortality from smoking-related diseases, lost tax revenue ($40.5 billion globally) and growing organized crime. The current draft of the FCTC (Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, World Health Organization) protocol proposes a number of measures -- such as tighter control of the supply chain, enforcement and international cooperation -- which are expected to reduce the size of illicit trade globally. This report assesses the likely costs and benefits of such action from a U.K. perspective. In line with standard practice it looks at the costs of regulation to industry and government, the likely impact of the regulation on behavior and benefits which that may bring.

Details: London: ASH (Action on Smoking and Health), 2010. 58p.

Source: Internet Resource

Year: 2010

Country: United Kingdom

URL:

Shelf Number: 118542

Keywords:
Cost-Benefit Analysis
Illegal Tobacco
Illegal Trade
Organized Crime

Author: TRAFFIC

Title: What's Driving the Wildlife Trade? A Review of Expert Opinion on Economic and Social Drivers of the Wildlife Trade and Trade Control Efforts in Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDF and Vietnam

Summary: South-east Asia is both a center for the comsumption of wildlife products, and also a key supplier of wildlife products to the world. Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR and Vietnam are among the south-east Asian countries that act as major sources of wildlife in trade, the trade involving a wide variety of native species, which, in many cases, are declining as a result of unsustainable, and often illegal, harvest. This study was initiated to provide a better understanding of the economic and social drivers of the wildlife trade in these four countries, and to assess the effectiveness of interventions that have been employed to halt illegal and unsustainable trade in their native flora and fauna.

Details: Washington, DC: Sustainable Development Bank, World Bank, 2008. 103p.

Source: Internet Resource

Year: 2008

Country: Asia

URL:

Shelf Number: 118609

Keywords:
Illegal Hunting
Illegal Trade
Offenses Against the Environment
Wild Animal Trade
Wildlife Crime (Asia)

Author: Environmental Investigation Agency

Title: Open Season: The Burgeoning Illegal Ivory Trade in Tanzania and Zambia

Summary: Acting as major conduit and exporting countries for illegal ivory from other African elephant Range States, Tanzania and Zambia also have significant illegal domestic ivory markets. These cater for resident migrant workers and tourists seeking souvenirs and provide ivory in large volumes to traders and syndicates for export to destinations such as China and Vietnam. Elephants are being poached from within both countries to supply these markets.

Details: London: EIA, 2010. 13p.

Source: Internet Resource

Year: 2010

Country: Africa

URL:

Shelf Number: 119217

Keywords:
Illegal Trade
Offenses Against the Environment
Poaching
Wildlife Crime

Author: International Fund for Animal Welfare

Title: Elephants on the High Street: An Investigation into Ivory Trade in the UK

Summary: This report highlights the difficulties of controlling the ivory trade, even in a country with more capacity for law enforcement than most other countries, and the implications this has for the proposed ivory stockpile sales.

Details: Yarmouth Port, MA: 2004. 41p.

Source: Internet Resource

Year: 2004

Country: United Kingdom

URL:

Shelf Number: 119228

Keywords:
Illegal Trade
Ivory Trade
Wildlife Smuggling
Wildlife Trade (U.K.)

Author: Great Britain. HM Revenue and Customs

Title: Marketing Strategy for Illicit Tobacco

Summary: This document is a cross-U.K. Government marketing strategy designed to change attitudes to illicit tobacco products.

Details: London: HM Revenue & Customs; Department of Health, 2009. 41p.

Source: Internet Resource

Year: 2009

Country: United Kingdom

URL:

Shelf Number: 119402

Keywords:
Illegal Trade
Illicit Tobacco
Public Opinion

Author: Dietrich, Christian

Title: Hard Currency: The Criminalized Diamond Economy of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and its Neighbours

Summary: Central Africa's main diamond exporters - Angola, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), the Central African Republic (CAR), and the Republic of the Congo - are among the least developed countries in the world. Diamonds are one of the most easily obtained, most easily transported forms of hard currency, for state and non-state actors alike. Inadequate controls in neighbouring and regional transit countries such as Rwanda, Burundi, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Tanzania and South Africa, and in trading countries like Belgium, Israel and India, along with secrecy within the industry, make diamonds - licit or illicit - easy to sell. The correlation between poverty, instability, protracted warfare, violence and diamonds suggests that the region is afflicted, rather than blessed by its diamond wealth. The report links the illicit diamond trade to the wars in the wars in Angola and the Congo, along with other conflicts in Central Africa.

Details: Ottawa: Partnership Africa Canada, 2002. 60p.

Source: Internet Resource; The Diamonds and Human Security ProjectOccasional Paper #4

Year: 2002

Country: Africa

URL:

Shelf Number: 119403

Keywords:
Illegal Trade
Illicit Diamonds

Author: Global Witness

Title: Broken Vows: Exposing the 'Loupe' Holes in the Dismond Industry's Efforts to Prevent the Trade in Conflict Diamonds

Summary: Major United States (US) and international retailers selling diamond jewellery are falling short on their promises to combat the trade in conflict diamonds. This report details the results of Global Witness' survey and investigations into the implementation of a system of self-regulation to support the Kimberley Process, an international governmental certification scheme aimed at preventing the trade in conflict diamonds.

Details: Washington, DC: Global Witness, 2004. 34p.

Source: Internet Resource

Year: 2004

Country: International

URL:

Shelf Number: 119413

Keywords:
Conflict Diamonds
Illegal Diamonds
Illegal Trade

Author: Global Witness

Title: Return of the Blood Diamond: The Deadly Race to Control Zimbabwe's New-Found Diamond Wealth

Summary: Zimbabwe’s Zanu PF political and military elite are seeking to capture the country’s diamond wealth through a combination of state-sponsored violence and the legally questionable introduction of opaque joint-venture companies. The Kimberley Process Certification Scheme, set up to end the trade in conflict diamonds, has repeatedly failing to react effectively to the crisis.

Details: Washington, DC: Global Witness, 2010. 23p.

Source: Internet Resource

Year: 2010

Country: Zimbabwe

URL:

Shelf Number: 119414

Keywords:
Conflict Diamonds
Illegal Trade

Author: International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW)

Title: Wrap Up the Trade: An International Campaign to Save the Endangered Tibetan Antelope

Summary: This report documents the international scope of the illegal trade in Tibetan antelope wool from China and shawls from India - a trade that may force the extinction of the Tibetan antelope.

Details: Yarmouth Port, MA: IFAW; New Delhi: WTI, 2001. 79p.

Source: Internet Resource

Year: 2001

Country: Asia

URL:

Shelf Number: 118628

Keywords:
Illegal Hunting
Illegal Trade
Wildlife Crime

Author: Great Britain. HM Revenue and Customs

Title: Tackling Tobacco Smuggling Together

Summary: The Tackling Tobacco Smuggling strategy has been the foundation of the Government’s success in reducing the illicit tobacco market. A new partnership between HM Revenue & Customs and the UK Border Agency, drawing on the strengths of both organisations, will now take the strategy forward, ensuring that there is no let-up in the fight against tobacco smuggling. The strategic approach will focus on the following key objectives: 1) A broader collective understanding of the risks - through our combined risk and intelligence capability; 2) To make the most effective deployment of the combined resources; 3) By increasing the deterrent value of our activity – working collaboratively with other enforcement agencies at home and abroad; 4) By improving detection at the border; 5) By increasing the impact of inland enforcement activity; 6) By matking the most effective use of the combined powers and sanctions; 7) By strengthening international partnerships; and 8) By strengthening regional and local partnerhips.

Details: Tackling Tobacco Smuggling Together: An Integrted Strategy for HM Revenue & Customs and the UK Border Agency

Source: Internet Resource

Year: 0

Country: Uruguay

URL:

Shelf Number: 119405

Keywords:
Border Security
Illegal Trade
Tobacco Smuggling

Author: Partnership Africa Canada

Title: The Lost World: Diamond Mining and Smuggling in Venezuela

Summary: This report on the diamond mining industry of Venezuela documents how and why Venezuela’s diamonds – an industry that produces from 150,000 to 200,000 carats per year, worth as much as US$20 million annually – have been driven underground. PAC further details the inability of Venezuela’s Ministry of Basic Industry and Mining (Miban) to control the diamond trade, officially ignoring the problem, while official diamond exports dwindled to nothing.

Details: Ottawa: Partnership Africa Canada, 2006. 19p.

Source: Internet Resource; Occasional Paper #16

Year: 2006

Country: Venezuela

URL:

Shelf Number: 119538

Keywords:
Diamonds
Illegal Trade
Smuggling

Author: Environmental Investigation Agency

Title: Rogue Traders: The Murky Business of Merbau Timber Smuggling in Indonesia

Summary: During 2009 and 2010 EIA/Telapak carried out undercover investigations into the illicit merbau trade in China and Singapore, as well as Surabaya, Makassar and Papua in Indonesia. These investigations reveal how significant amounts of illegal merbau, in the form of square logs and rough sawn timber, continue to be smuggled out of Indonesia, with the bulk bound for China. They also uncover the illegal activities of two rogue timber traders; Hengky Gosal, the man behind a foiled attempt to ship 23 containers of merbau logs, and Ricky Gunawan, a serial smuggler based in Surabaya.

Details: London: Environmental Investigation Agency; Bogor, Indonesia: Telepak, 2010. 13p.

Source: Internet Resource

Year: 2010

Country: Indonesia

URL:

Shelf Number: 119547

Keywords:
Illegal Logging
Illegal Trade
Offenses Against the Environment
Smuggling
Wildlife Crime

Author: Partnership Africa Canada

Title: Diamonds and Clubs: The Militarized Control of Diamonds and Power in Zimbabwe

Summary: This report exposes some of the players who have been at the forefront of the plunder of diamonds in Chiadzwa, Marange. It shows how the Chiadzwa diamonds are fuelling the ongoing political conflict in the region.

Details: Ottawa: Partnership Africa Canada, 2010. 29p.

Source: Internet Resource

Year: 2010

Country: Zimbabwe

URL:

Shelf Number: 119548

Keywords:
Diamond Smuggling
Illegal Trade
Violence

Author: Nijman, Vincent

Title: An Assessment of Trade in Gibbons and Orang-utans in Sumatra, Indonesia

Summary: This report presents an assessment of the trade in gibbons and orang-utans in Sumatra, Indonesia, including the islands off Sumatra’s west coast (most notably, the Mentawai Islands). Until recently Sumatra and its off-lying islands harboured one of the largest expanses of lowland evergreen rainforest in Southeast Asia. Most of the lowland forests are gone and the forest that remains is largely in the hills and mountains, running along the western part of the island, with the largest expanse of forests being in the Leuser Ecosystem, and adjacent Ulu Masen forest to the north. Commercial timber extraction, small-scale logging (legal and illegal), conversion of forest to palm oil or wood-pulp plantations, and forest fires – along with the concurrent increase in access to formerly remote areas – are increasingly threatening the integrity of the remaining forests, thus putting the survival of its inhabitants at stake. Sumatra is home to five species of ape i.e. the Sumatran Orang-utan Pongo abelii, and the Lar Gibbon Hylobates lar in the northernmost part, the Agile Gibbon Hylobates agilis in the central and southern part, and the Siamang Symphalangus syndactylus occurring sympatrically with the other apes throughout the island. Kloss’ Gibbon Hylobates klossi is found on the four Mentawai Islands, off Sumatra’s west coast. Lar Gibbons occur throughout Southeast Asia. The Sumatran Orang-utan is only found in Sumatra, and although the Agile Gibbon and the Siamang do occur in Peninsular Malaysia, based on the area of occupancy, over 90 percent of their populations are found in Sumatra. Kloss’ Gibbons are endemic to Indonesia. Indonesia bears a great responsibility towards safeguarding the future of these five ape species. All species are classified by the IUCN Red List as Globally Threatened, primarily due to loss of habitat but also due to illegal hunting and trade. This report finds that a lack of law enforcement against illegal trade in Indonesia threatens the survival of orang-utans and gibbons on Sumatra. The report recommends that the root causes of trade be examined and that laws be better implemented for the protection of orang-utans, gibbons and the island’s other wildlife. (Excerpts from publication)

Details: Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia: TRAFFIC Southeast Asia, 2009. 57p.

Source: Internet Resource; Accessed August 13, 2010 at http://www.traffic.org/species-reports/traffic_species_mammals47.pdf

Year: 2009

Country: Indonesia

URL: http://www.traffic.org/species-reports/traffic_species_mammals47.pdf

Shelf Number: 119591

Keywords:
Illegal Trade
Offenses Against the Environment
Wildlife Crime

Author: Dexel, Birga

Title: The Illegal Trade in Snow Leopards - A Global Perspective

Summary: The snow leopard was listed by the CITES Parties in 1975 on Appendix I. Since then cross-border trade has become an ever increasing threat to snow leopards, but no further measures have been taken in the framework of the convention to stop the on-going illegal trade in live specimen, parts and derivatives. Many range countries did not become a party to CITES till the late 1990s and some have not joined at all. The species is fully protected in every range country under the respective national laws and hunting as well as the trade in live specimen and parts is prohibited. All range countries with the exception of Bhutan have difficulties in enforcing these provisions. The national and international trade in live specimen, skins and bones is, according to the global network of snow leopard experts (SLN), the major threat to the survival of the species, particularly in Central Asia. This report is the first of its kind to assimilate the somewhat scarce information available, and to provide the Parties with evidence on the existence of this trade which, if no comprehensive measures are implemented as a matter of urgency, will lead to the extinction of this unique species. It also presents new trade data derived from investigations by the Kirghiz snow leopard enforcement group, Gruppa Bars, which is part of the joint Snow Leopard Conservation Programme of the Republic of Kyrgyzstan and the German Society for Nature Conservation (NABU). (Excerpts from the report)

Details: Berlin: German Society for Nature Conservation, 2002. 34p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed August 21, 2010 at: http://www.nabu.de/schneeleopard/report.pdf

Year: 2002

Country: International

URL: http://www.nabu.de/schneeleopard/report.pdf

Shelf Number: 119209

Keywords:
Illegal Trade
Offenses Against the Environment
Wildlife Crime

Author: International Alert

Title: The Role of the Exploitation of Natural Resources in Fuelling and Prolonging Crisis in the Eastern DRC

Summary: For more than a decade, research has stressed the importance of the economic dimension of conflict, and of the economic interests of belligerents. Competition among political, military and business actors for the control of mineral resources in the east of the country is being increasingly recognised as a pivotal factor in assessing the causes of instability in the Democratic Republic of Congo. This report is based on a thorough review of all the main literature on the subject since the year 2000. It describes and assesses the different categories of actors and the processes, chains and linkages that are involved in mining and trading of minerals in the Kivu provinces and in the territory of Ituri. It also reveals some of the main gaps in the information on the issue that is needed to develop and refine more effective peace-building strategies by national and international interveners.

Details: London: International Alert, 2009. 87p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 3, 2010 at: http://international-alert.org/pdf/Natural_Resources_Jan_10.pdf

Year: 2009

Country: Africa

URL: http://international-alert.org/pdf/Natural_Resources_Jan_10.pdf

Shelf Number: 118599

Keywords:
Illegal Trade
Offenses Against the Environment
Violence
Wildlife Crime

Author: Allais, Carol

Title: Tsireledzani: Understanding the Dimensions of Human Trafficking in Southern Africa

Summary: This report provides the first comprehensive assessment of human trafficking in South Africa. This research study was conducted by the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) on behalf of the ‘Programme of Assistance to the South African Government to Prevent, React to Human Trafficking and Provide Support to Victims of Crime’. The programme of assistance forms part of South Africa’s National Strategy to Combat Human Trafficking through prevention, response and support for victims, known as TSIRELEDZANI. The programme of assistance is being implemented by the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) and is co-funded by the South African Government and the European Union (EU). The overall objective of South Africa’s National Strategy on Human Trafficking is to ensure full compliance with the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children (hereafter, ‘Palermo Protocol’), which supplements the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organised Crime. Compliance includes developing comprehensive legislation underpinned by a victim-centred empowerment approach, taking full account of the Victim’s Charter1 as well as relevant South African legislation. The specific purposes of the Tsireledzani Programme are to: (a) contribute to compliance with the Palermo Protocol requirements, (b) increase capacity to deal with trafficking, and (c) enhance inter-sectoral coordination and cooperation. Tsireledzani is being implemented by the Sexual Offences and Community Affairs (SOCA) Unit of the NPA over a three-year period (2008-2010). The present study addresses Result 1 of the programme of assistance to the South African government: DEEPENED KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF TRAFFICKING, and presents findings on human trafficking in South Africa obtained from research undertaken from December 2008 to March 2010. The objectives of the study were to: 1. Identify trafficking trends in order to develop appropriate responses; 2. Identify national legislative measures, policy frameworks and women’s and children’s rights instruments; 3. Analyse counter-trafficking responses regarding human trafficking in the SADC region and other countries with comparative features; 4. Identify the profile of the victims and characteristics and motives of the agents in human trafficking; 5. Identify the purposes for human trafficking and the key driving factors; 6. Identify socio-economic aspects of the demand and cultural values and practices influencing human trafficking; 7. Identify the interrelation between human trafficking and migration relation issues in the context of globalization; 8. Identify the linkage between organised crime networks and corruption, and human trafficking; 9. Identify indicators for a national Trafficking Information Management System ; 10. Make recommendations on the outcome of the above results.

Details: Pretoria: National Prosecuting Authority of South Africa, 2010. 206p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 8, 2010 at: http://www.hsrc.ac.za/Document-3562.phtml

Year: 2010

Country: South Africa

URL: http://www.hsrc.ac.za/Document-3562.phtml

Shelf Number: 119766

Keywords:
Child Prostitution
Corruption
Forced Labor
Human Trafficking
Illegal Trade
Organized Crime
Wildlife Conservation
Wildlife Crime (Asia-Pacific)
Wildlife Smuggling

Author: Mwanika, Philip Arthur Njuguna

Title: Eco-Cop: Environmental Policing in Eastern Africa

Summary: The power to police, as part of statecraft , is a basic attribute of contemporary government that manifests in a vast array of sites of governance, including not only the state itself, but also areas such as the community, the household and industry, and contemporary realms such as the war against terrorism. This paper looks at a particular dominant realm of governance that is a mainstay of modern policing, i.e. the environmental protection realm, and particularly the policing component known as environmental crime management. Towards that end, this paper attempts to make sense of the policing component understood as ‘environmental policing’ and how it is operationalised in Africa. Case studies from the Great Lakes and the Horn of Africa have been adopted. The question of whether the police institution in the continent should be involved in environmental protection or have an environmental enforcement component has been critically investigated against a backdrop of the political, societal, administrative and bureaucratic realities in the mentioned geo-political concerns.

Details: Pretoria: Institute for Security Studies, 2010. 16p.

Source: Internet Resource: ISS Paper 215: Accessed September 17, 2010 at: http://www.iss.co.za/uploads/215.pdf

Year: 2010

Country: South Africa

URL: http://www.iss.co.za/uploads/215.pdf

Shelf Number: 119827

Keywords:
Environmental Protection
Illegal Fishing
Illegal Logging
Illegal Trade
Offenses Against the Environment
Policing
Wildlife Crimes

Author: Perelygin, Alexander

Title: Metal Fingerprint: Countering Illicit Trade in Precious Metals and Gemstones

Summary: International efforts to disrupt terrorist and organized crime networks must pay special attention to how these networks are financed. Global trade in precious metals and gemstones has become a significant source of financing for both organized crime and terrorist groups. As the demand for materials bearing precious metals and stones continues to grow, criminal and terrorist networks will exploit weak national and international monitoring of the trade to finance activities that threaten us all. Public-private partnerships offer a real chance of increasing transparency and monitoring in the trade of precious metals and gemstones, thus undermining the financial foundation of global terrorist networks. Serious efforts have been undertaken by governments, international organizations, and the global business community to stem illegal trade in many commodities used in money laundering and terrorist financing—especially since the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, in the United States. Significant success has been seen in disrupting the trade of illegal rough diamonds through the Kimberly Process. But success has been elusive in the illegal trafficking of precious metals and gemstones. Efficient law enforcement in this area is hampered by the lack of internationally recognized procedures for certifying batches of primary precious metals-bearing raw materials and a lack of well-established methods of identifying the origin of both precious metals and gemstones. These shortcomings complicate the process of distinguishing between legal and criminal supplies and place a substantially greater burden on the due diligence efforts of precious metals refiners and stonecutters to ascertain the veracity of their customers. Russian research institutes and forensic laboratories, led by the mining and metallurgical company Norilsk Nickel, have devised advanced methods to identify the origin of semi-products bearing platinum-group metals (PGM). This methodology can be expanded to other metal groups and gemstones, taking the form of a Platinum Initiative to ensure efficient certification procedures in the international metal trade and strengthen existing certification schemes in the diamond and gemstones industries. In July 2007, an informal international working group, including experts from the private sector, government, and independent think tanks, was established under the auspices of the G8 in order to explore the potential of the Platinum Initiative. The conclusions and recommendations formulated in this policy paper are to a large extent based on the initial findings discussed at the first three meetings of this Working Group held in July and October 2007 and February 2008. Key Recommendations include the following: Develop the Platinum Initiative into a strong industry-focused program that includes: an international register of verified and legitimate traders in PGM; enhanced customs control procedures to identify PGM-bearing goods; internationally shared databases of PGM-bearing raw materials; enhanced control measures in mining and metallurgical companies; an international network of certified forensic and expert laboratories capable of tracing the origins of the goods and commodities in question. Coordinate the enforcement mechanisms of the Platinum Initiative with the relevant international organizations—in particular, the World Customs Organization (WCO), appropriate UN agencies, the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), and the G8 governments. Incorporate data on platinum-metals bearing goods and materials into the existing WCO framework using tracking systems such as the Harmonized Commodity Description and Coding System and the Customs Enforcement Network. Establish standardized procedures for information-sharing between national law enforcement agencies and PGM-producing companies to respond rapidly to the appearance of suspicious consignments of unfinished precious metals-bearing materials on the market. Strengthen the implementation and regulatory framework of the World Bank’s anti-money laundering (AML) program to reflect the significant role of illegal precious metals trading as an instrument of terrorist financing.

Details: New York: East West Institute, 2008. 11p.

Source: Internet Resource: Policy Paper 4/2008: Accessed October 9, 2010 at: http://www.ewi.info/metal-fingerprint-countering-illicit-trade-precious-metals-and-gemstones

Year: 2008

Country: International

URL: http://www.ewi.info/metal-fingerprint-countering-illicit-trade-precious-metals-and-gemstones

Shelf Number: 119899

Keywords:
Illegal Trade
Metal Theft
Organized Crime
Precious Metals
Terrorist Financing
Terrorists

Author: Lawson, Sam

Title: Illegal Logging and Related Trade: Indicators of the Global Response: Country Report Cards

Summary: This report card assesses the imports of illegally sourced wood, the government response, the private-sector response, media attention and areas for improvement for Brazil, Cameroon, Ghana, Indonesia, Malaysia, China, Vietnam, UK, United States, The Netherlands, France and Japan.

Details: London: Chatham House, 2010. 12p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 12, 2010 at: http://www.chathamhouse.org.uk/research/eedp/papers/view/-/id/913/

Year: 2010

Country: International

URL: http://www.chathamhouse.org.uk/research/eedp/papers/view/-/id/913/

Shelf Number: 119934

Keywords:
Illegal Logging
Illegal Trade
Offenses Against the Environment
Wildlife Crime

Author: Ishihara, Akiko

Title: The State of Wildlife Trade in Japan

Summary: The State of Wildlife Trade in Japan analyses the significance of Japan’s trade in wild animal and plant species and their products, reviews this trade in the light of national and international regulations and provides critical insights into the nature of Japan’s impact on global biodiversity. It provides, among other things, explanations of the current trends in topical issues involving Atlantic Bluefin Tuna, and the often-illegal trade in reptiles as pets, while highlighting the importance of sustainable use of medicinal plants, an issue closely related to the goals of the Convention on Biological Diversity.

Details: Tokyo: TRAFFIC East Asia-Japan, 2010. 95p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 18, 2010 at: www.traffic.org/general-reports/traffic_pub_gen38.pdf

Year: 2010

Country: Japan

URL:

Shelf Number: 120007

Keywords:
Illegal Trade
Offenses Against the Environment
Wildlife Crime

Author: Bricknell, Samantha

Title: Environmental Crime in Australia

Summary: Environmental crime is the perpetration of harms against the environment that violate current law. The term environmental harm is often interchanged with environmental crime and, for some, any activity that has a deleterious effect on the environment is considered an environmental crime. At the other end of the spectrum, the harm may be conceived of as a crime per se only if it is subject to criminal prosecution and criminal sanction. The activities that are recognised in Australia as environmental crimes include: pollution or other contamination of air, land and water; illegal discharge and dumping of, or trade in, hazardous and other regulated waste; illegal trade in ozone-depleting substances; illegal, unregulated and unreported (IUU) fishing; illegal trade in (protected) flora and fauna and harms to biodiversity; illegal logging and timber trade; illegal native vegetation clearance; and water theft. Compared with other crimes, environmental crime has taken longer to be accepted as a genuine category of crime. Changing perceptions about the vulnerability of the environment, particularly with respect to long-term outcomes of environmentally harmful practices, has altered this view to the extent that most behaviour with a potential environmental consequence is now tightly regulated. Environmental crime has received some research attention in Australia but little in the way of a comprehensive account. This report aims to address this by assembling the available literature to examine the nature and extent of environmental crime in Australia and the laws and other processes in place to prevent, deter and sanction environmental offences.

Details: Canberra: Australian Institute of Criminology, 2010. 132p.

Source: Internet Resource: AIC Reports, Research and Public Policy Series 109: Accessed October 18, 2010 at: http://www.aic.gov.au/documents/2/1/1/%7B211B5EB9-E888-4D26-AED4-1D4E76646E4B%7Drpp109.pdf

Year: 2010

Country: Australia

URL: http://www.aic.gov.au/documents/2/1/1/%7B211B5EB9-E888-4D26-AED4-1D4E76646E4B%7Drpp109.pdf

Shelf Number: 120006

Keywords:
Illegal Fishing
Illegal Logging
Illegal Trade
Offenses Against the Environment
Wildlife Crime

Author: Dreyfus, Pablo

Title: Small Arms in Brazil: Production, Trade, and Holdings

Summary: It is not difficult to find evidence of Brazil’s high levels of armed violence. The proof is in the grim statistics of the country’s hospitals, morgues, and prisons. This Special Report looks at two aspects of this problem. First, it explores the thriving Brazilian small arms industry, which, together with international trafficking networks, contributes to control failures and fuels small arms violence. Second, it maps out weapons holdings—by weapon type, holder, and location

Details: Geneva, Switzerland: Small Arms Survey, Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies, 2010. 170p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 19, 2010 at: http://www.smallarmssurvey.org/fileadmin/docs/C-Special-reports/SAS-SR11-Small-Arms-in-Brazil.pdf

Year: 2010

Country: Brazil

URL: http://www.smallarmssurvey.org/fileadmin/docs/C-Special-reports/SAS-SR11-Small-Arms-in-Brazil.pdf

Shelf Number: 120035

Keywords:
Guns
Illegal Trade
Trafficking in Weapons
Violence
Violent Crime

Author: Global Witness

Title: Investigation Into the Global Trade in Malagasy Precious Woods: Rosewood, Ebony and Pallisander

Summary: In June 2009, Madagascar National Parks (MNP) with an official mandate of the Ministry of the Environment and Forests contracted Global Witness and the Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) to investigate and monitor the flow of illegally harvested precious wood from the national parks and surrounding areas of Madagascar’s SAVA Region. This illicit trade in rare, high-value species such as ebony, rosewood and pallisander serves export markets in China, the United States and Europe, where it is used to manufacture furniture and musical instruments. The quick profits on offer have fuelled a timber rush which has decimated Madagascar’s few remaining precious forests. Our November 2009 report, Investigation into the illegal felling, transport and export of precious wood in SAVA Region Madagascar1, revealed the inner workings of the trade and the extent of the damage. It estimated the traffic’s value at up to USD460,000 per day on international markets, with most profits pocketed by a small group of “timber barons”, who typically channel the money into overseas bank accounts and property. This latest report tells what happened next. It traces several important developments since the November publication, and presents findings from our follow-up investigations into the trade flows and consumer markets which facilitate and promote demand for Madagascar’s precious woods.

Details: Washington, DC: Environmental Investigation Agency; London: Global Witness, 2010. 31p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed November 1, 2010 at: http://www.financialtaskforce.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/Illegal_Timber_Report_261010.pdf

Year: 2010

Country: Madagascar

URL: http://www.financialtaskforce.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/Illegal_Timber_Report_261010.pdf

Shelf Number: 120136

Keywords:
Illegal Logging
Illegal Trade
Offenses Against the Environment
Wildlife Crime

Author: Stewart, James G.

Title: Corporate War Crimes: Prosecuting the Pillage of Natural Resources

Summary: Since the end of the Cold War, the illegal exploitation of natural resources has emerged as a primary means of financing armed violence. In countries as diverse as Afghanistan, Angola, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, East Timor, Liberia, and Sierra Leone, the sale of natural resources within conflict zones has not only created perverse incentives for war, it has also furnished warring parties with the finances necessary to sustain some of the most brutal hostilities in recent history. As a consequence of the illegal trade in minerals, metals, timber, and other natural resources, armed conflicts in which participants are able to draw upon easily accessible natural resource wealth are often more bloody, financially costly, and intractable than other forms of armed violence. Resource wars also contribute to the so-called resource curse, whereby the richest nations in terms of resource endowment are poorest in terms of social development and most prone to violent upheaval. While there is broad consensus that the correlation between resource wealth and armed violence must be addressed through a range of initiatives geared at fighting corruption, policing the resource sector domestically, and building judicial capacity in countries recovering from war, the liability of foreign businesses for trading in illicit conflict commodities is also vital. Resource wars, after all, are entirely dependent on commercial actors to purchase, transport, and market the resources that are illegally acquired in order to sustain violence. As part of this growing interest in resource wars, Corporate War Crimes: Prosecuting the Pillage of Natural Resources explores the elements of corporate liability for the war crime of pillage. Although the term pillage has a long pedigree in the laws of war, the offense also features as a contemporary war crime in the statutes of all modern international criminal courts and a large number of domestic criminal systems. In essence, pillage means theft during war, and is synonymous with other equally evocative terms such as looting, spoliation, and plunder. A substantial body of jurisprudence has applied the offense in practice. Modern courts such as the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) enforce the offense as a matter of course. At present, Liberia’s former president Charles Taylor and the former vice-president of Congo Jean- Pierre Bemba are facing trial before international courts for having allegedly perpetrated acts of pillage during war, but the most important precedents derive from World War Two. In the wake of that conflict, a significant number of business representatives were prosecuted for pillaging natural resources in circumstances that are often strikingly similar to corporate practices in modern resource wars. By exploring these cases and the law governing pillage in detail, Corporate War Crimes seeks to guide investigative bodies and war crimes prosecutors engaged with the technicalities of these issues. We also hope that this manual will be useful for advocates, political institutions, and companies interested in curbing resource wars. Our belief is that the deterrent effect created by even a single case is likely to transform conflict financing in a large number of ongoing conflicts. At the same time, we are conscious of the potential humanitarian consequences of depriving warring factions of access to resource wealth in some contexts, and of the serious dangers of tarnishing reputable companies that provide the legitimate investment essential to rehabilitating economies ravaged by war. With this balance in mind, this project seeks to act as a catalyst for reinvigorating prosecution of the war crime of pillage and to bring accountability to companies that illegally trade in conflict commodities.

Details: New York: Open Society Institute, 2010. 148p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed November 1, 2010 at: http://www.soros.org/initiatives/justice/focus/anticorruption/articles_publications/publications/pillage-manual-20101025/pillage-manual-20101025.pdf

Year: 2010

Country: International

URL: http://www.soros.org/initiatives/justice/focus/anticorruption/articles_publications/publications/pillage-manual-20101025/pillage-manual-20101025.pdf

Shelf Number: 120138

Keywords:
Illegal Trade
Looting
Offenses Against the Environment
Pillaging
Prosecution
Theft

Author: Kofoed, Julie Garfieldt

Title: Criminal Justice in the Netherlands Over Trade in Natural Resources Originating From Conflict Zones

Summary: Natural resources such as diamonds, timber, coltan, and other minerals are often extracted from developing countries by rebel groups; and the resources are subsequently exported to developed countries as private goods. There is evidence that the presence of valuable natural resources increases the likelihood of armed conflict; and it is widely acknowledged that the sale of these natural resources is often used to fund an prolong armed conflicts. Once sold, these natural resources regularly enter developed countries, including the Netherlands, as a final destination or a transit point, whereupon they are sold and used as if they were legitimately obtained goods. Given that the countries of origin are often unable to exercise effective control over the illicit extraction and trade in resources on their territory, the IES has advocated that developed importing or transit countries take steps to block access to their national markets by criminalizing trade in resources that originate from conflict zones and that are illicitly extracted and sold. It is hoped that the prevention of access to the external market will diminish the money flow which fuels armed conflicts. It is expected that without the ability to export the illicitly obtained resources to external markets, the most important money flows that underlie or fund the continuation of armed conflict will soon dry up.

Details: The Hague: Institute for Environmental Security, Amsterdam International Law Clinic and Bronkhorst International Law Services, 2008. 64p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed November 8, 2010 at: http://www.envirosecurity.org/pathfinder/Criminal_Jurisdiction.pdf

Year: 2008

Country: Netherlands

URL: http://www.envirosecurity.org/pathfinder/Criminal_Jurisdiction.pdf

Shelf Number: 120262

Keywords:
Illegal Trade
Natural Resources
Offenses Against the Environment
Organized Crime
Wildlife Crimes

Author: Oswell, Adam H.

Title: The Big Cat Trade in Myanmar and Thailand

Summary: Between January 2001 and June 2010 a total of 493 big cat parts were observed at markets and during covert investigations in Myanmar and Thailand. Live big cats were also observed and recorded, including all four species of big cats that occur in Myanmar and Thailand (Tiger, Panthera tigris; Leopard, Panthera pardus; Clouded Leopard, Neofelis nebulosa, Snow Leopard, Uncia uncia) and one non-indigenous species (Asiatic Lion, Panthera leo persica). Both Myanmar and Thailand are signatories to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), completely prohibiting all commercial trans-border trade of big cats (including their parts and derivatives) listed in CITES Appendix I, and requiring permits for export of species listed in Appendix II. Myanmar has been a signatory to CITES since 1997 and Thailand since 1983. All Asian big cats including Tiger, Leopard, Clouded Leopard, Snow Leopard and Asiatic Lion are classified as Appendix I under CITES. The indigenous big cats are also protected by national law in both countries. All indigenous cat species in Thailand fall under the Wildlife Reservation and Protection Act B.E. 2535 (AD1992). In Myanmar, they are under the Protection of Wildlife and Wild Plants and Conservation of Natural Areas Law (State Law and Order Restoration Council Law No. 583/94.1994). All observations and investigations took place in border areas and in markets on the Thai/Myanmar border, Myanmar/China border and the Thai/Lao PDR border where the trade in wildlife and big cats is very active and is conducted in most cases with impunity despite national and international laws to prohibit the trade in these species. The fact that the majority of this trade occurs in non-government controlled areas in northern Myanmar bordering China underscores the difficulty in implementing effective enforcement in these areas. If significant progress is to be made in reducing or ending the trade in big cats and other protected wildlife, the groups that control these areas and allow traders to operate must be engaged and influenced either to establish and enforce their own conservation legislation or to implement existing national laws. Non-government controlled areas in northern Myanmar play a major role in facilitating regional trade in big cats and many other endangered species. Some groups resident in strategically important areas bordering China, India and Thailand maintain significant militia forces, which enables these self-governed entities to exist and operate illegal trade in arms, narcotics, humans and wildlife. The extreme decentralization of northern Myanmar makes the situation more difficult to monitor and control. Parts and derivatives of big cats, and live animals are sourced in Myanmar, Thailand, Lao PDR, Malaysia and India and trafficked across national borders into these non-government controlled areas where they are stored, wholesaled and retailed to local and international buyers. The products are easily transported by boat or road into China and Thailand where some continue via national postal systems, road and/or air transport to domestic and international buyers and markets. The trade documented in this report poses a real and immediate threat to the survival of big cat species in Asia.

Details: Selangor, Malaysia: TRAFFIC Southeast Asia, 2010. 32p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed November 29, 2010 at: http://assets.panda.org/downloads/traffic_species_mammals61_1.pdf

Year: 2010

Country: Asia

URL: http://assets.panda.org/downloads/traffic_species_mammals61_1.pdf

Shelf Number: 120295

Keywords:
Illegal Trade
Wild Animal Trade
Wildlife Crimes
Wildlife Smuggling

Author: Leslie, Glaister

Title: Confronting the Don: The Political Economy of Gang Violence in Jamaica

Summary: Jamaica’s murder rate—62 per 100,000 in 2009— is one of the highest in the world. The small island grapples with violent crime within a context of gangs, guns, and allegations of political and police corruption. This report presents an overview of the history, prevalence, and distribution of gangs, focusing in particular on their involvement in international drug and arms trafficking and the possible influence of deportees from the United States. It finds that there is a dense social web connecting highly organized, transnational gangs to loosely organized gangs whose activities are often indistinguishable from broader community violence. Persistent facilitation of gang activity by politicians continues to hinder targeted violence reduction efforts, despite the government’s public condemnation of crime and violence, and official support of violence reduction. The report’s findings include: There are around 268 active gangs operating throughout the island, five times the number estimated in 1998; Gangs are accused of being responsible for as much as 80 per cent of all major crimes in Jamaica; Over the past decade, murders committed in Jamaica have almost doubled, and gun-related murders have driven the increase; Most firearms seized in Jamaica are traced back to three counties in the US state of Florida, all of which have large Jamaican populations. Most small arms used in crimes are believed to have entered the country illegally, but much of the ammunition appears to have entered the country legally before being transferred to illicit markets. The discovery in early 2010 of large amounts of illegal ammunition and firearms — all originating from the police force’s central armoury—has conclusively linked security forces to the distribution of ammunition and weapons to criminals. Reductions in Jamaica’s violence will be short-lived unless the linkages between politicians, organized crime, and gangs are severely eroded. Community policing may offer an important alternative to security forces’ more repressive approaches to crime control.

Details: Geneva: Small Arms Survey, Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies, 2010. 90p.

Source: Internet Resource: Small Arms Survey Occasional Paper no. 26: Accessed November 29, 2010 at: http://www.smallarmssurvey.org/fileadmin/docs/B-Occasional-papers/SAS-OP26-Jamaica-gangs.pdf

Year: 2010

Country: Jamaica

URL: http://www.smallarmssurvey.org/fileadmin/docs/B-Occasional-papers/SAS-OP26-Jamaica-gangs.pdf

Shelf Number: 120297

Keywords:
Drug Trafficking
Gang Violence
Gangs (Jamaica)
Illegal Trade
Trafficking in Weapons
Violent Crime

Author: Asumi, Judith Burdin

Title: Blood Oil in the Niger Delta

Summary: The recent resumption of attacks against the oil industry in the Niger Delta and the resultant increase in oil prices have reminded the world that the unrest there is not a problemcfor Nigeria alone. Indeed, the business of bunkering illegalcoil, or blood oil, involves players far beyond the shores of Nigeria and will require an international effort to control it. Additionally, the broader issues of underdevelopment and overmilitarization of the Niger Delta, as well as the region’s lack of participation in the oil and gas industry, must be addressed before any lasting peace can be found.

Details: Washington, DC: United States Institute of Peace, 2009. 19p.

Source: Internet Resource: Special Report 229: Accessed December 9, 2010 at: http://www.usip.org/files/blood_oil_nigerdelta.pdf

Year: 2009

Country: Nigeria

URL: http://www.usip.org/files/blood_oil_nigerdelta.pdf

Shelf Number: 120422

Keywords:
Blood Oil
Illegal Oil (Nigeria)
Illegal Trade

Author: ProFauna Indonesia

Title: Wildlife Trade Survey on the Bird Markets in Java

Summary: Indonesia is a mega-biodiversity country. It is estimated that about 300,000 wild animals or 17% of the world animals inhabit the nature of Indonesia, despite Indonesia’s lands is only 1.3% of the world’s. Indonesia has the largest mammals (515 species) and is inhabited by 1,539 bird species. 45% of the world’s fish species live in Indonesia’s waters. However, illegal wildlife trade becomes a huge threat towards wild animals survival in Indonesia. 183 mammal, 115 bird, 27 reptile, and 111 fish species are threatened in Indonesia (IUCN, 2008). Unless there are efforts to save and protect the animals, wild animals in Indonesia will be extinct like Balinese Tiger which was gone in the 1970’s. Similarly, Javan tiger is considered extinct even though some scientists believe that there are some still left in Merubetiri National Park in Banyuwangi, East Java. The main causes of wild animal extinction are the habitat loss or destruction and poaching for trade. Now, wildlife trade poses serious threat to the Indonesian animals’ survival. More than 95% of the traded animals are caught from the wild instead of captive-bred. The hub of wildlife trade takes place in bird (animal/ pet) markets in Java. Almost every big city in Java has a bird market. Java Island is one of the largest islands in Indonesia which 12 millions hectares (6% of the Indonesian land) and 116 millions population (60% of the whole country population) since Java is the centre of Indonesian government and economy. To the Javanese’s believe, birds as pets take certain position in their social life. Keeping birds has been a lifestyle for a Javanese man. Some also believe that keeping bird is a symbol of accomplishment and settlement. In the past, noble Javanese were considered to be successful in life when he had a turangga (horse/ride), a curiga (Javanese weapon), and a kukila (bird. This traditional belief is assumed to explain why Javanese keep birds which also encourages the flourishing bird markets in Java. Because the market sells birds the most, it is named ‘bird market’ by the locals despite it also sells other species or wildlife. To study the wildlife trade in bird markets, ProFauna has conducted a survey on the bird markets in Java between May and July 2009.

Details: Malang, Indonesia: ProFauna, 2010(?). 32p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed December 21, 2010 at: http://www.profauna.org/download/publication/final-report-bird-market-survey-(2009).pdf

Year: 2010

Country: Indonesia

URL: http://www.profauna.org/download/publication/final-report-bird-market-survey-(2009).pdf

Shelf Number: 120567

Keywords:
Illegal Trade
Offenses Against the Environment
Wildlife Crime

Author: Banks, Debbie

Title: Skinning the Cat: Crime and Politics of the Big Cat Skin Trade

Summary: The illegal trade in poached skins between India, Nepal and China is the most significant immediate threat to the continued existence of the tiger in the wild. While the importance of the problem has been recognised and plenty of information is already available, the lucrative illegal trade continues.

Details: London: Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA UK); New Delhi: WPSI India, 2006. 25p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 3, 2011 at: http://www.eia-international.org/cgi/reports/reports.cgi?t=template&a=129

Year: 2006

Country: India

URL: http://www.eia-international.org/cgi/reports/reports.cgi?t=template&a=129

Shelf Number: 120692

Keywords:
Illegal Trade
Organized Crime
Poaching
Wild Animal Trade
Wildlife Crimes

Author: Garuba, Dauda S.

Title: Trans-Border Economic Crimes, Illegal Oil Bunkering and Economic Reforms in Nigeria

Summary: This paper examines the phenomenon of economic crime across borders and its specific character of illegal oil bunkering in Nigeria vis-à-vis the country’s economic reform agenda. Among the questions the paper seeks to address are: What is the underlying linkage between trans-border economic crime and the phenomenon of globalization? What are its illegal oil bunkering characters? How are they reflected in Nigeria? To what extent has the economic reform agenda of the country addressed them? What is the way forward to dealing with its undermining impacts for the Nigerian physical and economic security? The paper is divided into six parts. The first part (an introduction), attempts to contextualize Nigeria’s economic reform within the rubrics of the unfinished political democratization agenda that started in the 1980s. The second part discusses trans-border economic crime within the context and linkage with the logic of globalization, while parts three and four attempt to locate Nigeria and the trans-border character of illegal oil bunkering in that linkage. Part five reviews the diverse attempts to reconnect Nigeria to prosperity via reforms, while the last part constructs way forward for the realization of the goal.

Details: Santiago, Chile: Global Consortium on Security Transformation, 2010. 23p.

Source: Internet Resource: Policy Brief Series, No. 15: Accessed February 8, 2011 at: http://www.securitytransformation.org/images/publicaciones/194_GCST_Policy_Brief_15_-_Trans-Border_Economic_Crimes,_Illegal_Oil_Bunkering_and_Economic_Reforms_in_Nigeria.pdf

Year: 2010

Country: Nigeria

URL: http://www.securitytransformation.org/images/publicaciones/194_GCST_Policy_Brief_15_-_Trans-Border_Economic_Crimes,_Illegal_Oil_Bunkering_and_Economic_Reforms_in_Nigeria.pdf

Shelf Number: 120720

Keywords:
Economic Crimes
Illegal Oil
Illegal Trade

Author: Scheyvens, Henry

Title: Enhancing Customs Collaboration To Combat The Trade In Illegal Timber

Summary: This report builds on the initiatives of the Asia Forest Partnership and East Asia and Pacific FLEG to promote cooperation among Customs, Forestry and other authorities to reduce the trade of illegal wood products. The goal of this review is to assist Customs and timber trade regulating agencies in their efforts to improve control over the international tropical timber trade, thereby preventing trade from being a driver of illegal logging and thus supporting the management, conservation and sustainable development of forests. This study is based on a wide-ranging analytical review of (i) Customs and illegal logging literature, (ii) international legal instruments, (iii) bilateral arrangements that assign or imply a role for Customs in combating the trade of illegal timber, (iv) model and existing agreements for Customs mutual administrative assistance, and (v) existing Customs networks. The review was augmented through consultations including Customs, Forestry and other officials, experts and key stakeholders. Further input was provided through the peer review workshop for this paper, which was held on 28-29 October 2009 in Bangkok.

Details: Kanagawa, Japan: Institute for Global Environmental Strategies, 2010. 69p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 8, 2011 at: http://enviroscope.iges.or.jp/modules/envirolib/upload/2784/attach/iges_trade_in_illegal_timber.pdf

Year: 2010

Country: International

URL: http://enviroscope.iges.or.jp/modules/envirolib/upload/2784/attach/iges_trade_in_illegal_timber.pdf

Shelf Number: 120723

Keywords:
Customs Enforcement
Illegal Timber
Illegal Trade
Offenses Against the Environment

Author: Yanfang, Tian

Title: China's Imports of Russian Timber: Chinese Actors in the Timber Commodity Chain and Their Risks of Involvement in Illegal Logging and the Resultant Trade

Summary: Since the end of the 1990s, the Sino-Russian border regions have witnessed a dramatic, unprecedented increase in cross-border timber trade that has made Russia the largest log supplier for China’s expanding wood industry sector. Driving factors include: severe constraints in China’s domestic wood supplies, the availability of rich forest resources in the Russian Far East and Siberia, liberalised trade policies and demand from both domestic and European, Japanese and US markets for low cost Chinese wood products. This study provides a contextual description and analysis of the cross-border timber trade boom and the actors involved. It examines the current challenges faced by a largely inefficient Russian forestry sector and decentralised Russian forest administration in the context of illegal logging and unsustainable forestry practices, both widely viewed as having reached serious dimensions. This study focuses on the involvement and role of Chinese actors throughout the supply chain. Chinese companies have entered the Russian forestry sector, introduced greater efficiency and proved competitive. This involvement has also opened doors for Chinese actors to inadvertently or intentionally participate in illegal activities throughout the supply chain. In addition to timber harvesting, Chinese actors are involved as intermediaries in the commercial log depots and control the wholesale timber market in some parts of Russia. Chinese actors have also increasingly invested in wood processing in Russia, partly in response to the adjustment of the Russian export tax on logs. Most recently, there has been a trend towards vertical integration for Chinese companies, with intermediaries and wood importers attempting to extend their business to every node of the trading network. On the Chinese side of the border, preferential tax policies and infrastructure investment have spurred a rapid development of the timber processing industry with private sector processing mills replacing state-owned timber processing factories. To promote responsible timber trade within this context of commodity chain transformation, the study recommends the following measures: Establish inspection sites near the commercial depots; Enhance the effectiveness of administrative inspection through technical improvement, harmonisation of regulations and setting-up of an integrated monitoring system; Localise international forest certification schemes; Chinese and Russian government agencies to provide joint guidance on documentation that could be used by traders to establish a chain of custody for forest products; Establish a China-Russian multi-stakeholder working group to monitor the timber trade and exchange customs data in a timely manner; Chinese government to revise its procurement policy to favour legal and sustainable wood.

Details: Kanagawa, Japan: Institute for Global Environmental Strategies, 2008. 45p.

Source: Internet Resource: Forest Conservation, Livelihoods and Rights Project - Occasional Paper No. 2: Accessed February 14, 2011 at: http://enviroscope.iges.or.jp/modules/envirolib/upload/1569/attach/1569.pdf

Year: 2008

Country: Russia

URL: http://enviroscope.iges.or.jp/modules/envirolib/upload/1569/attach/1569.pdf

Shelf Number: 120769

Keywords:
Illegal Logging
Illegal Trade
Offenses Against the Environment

Author: Lawson, Sam

Title: Illegal Logging and Related Trade: Indicators of the Global Response

Summary: Illegal logging and associated trade in illegally sourced wood products are important causes of deforestation and forest degradation in many developing countries. Forest destruction in turn contributes up to 20 per cent of global carbon dioxide emissions. Illegal logging also robs cash-strapped governments of vital revenues, has a devastating impact on the livelihoods of forest-dependent people, and fosters corruption and conflict. Over the last decade governments, the private sector and civil society have recognized these impacts and have made increasing efforts to tackle the problem. This study attempts to measure the scale and the effectiveness of the response to illegal logging. It examines the response in countries where illegal logging occurs and also in those countries which import, process and consume illegally sourced wood. In addition to measuring the extent to which illegal logging and associated trade has changed over time, the study examines how attention to the problem has changed and how governments and the private sector have responded. Various indicators and means of verification have been designed, tested and used by Chatham House to measure the response in five timber-producing countries, five consuming countries, and two countries whose timber trade is largely based on processing imported raw material for export. The study finds that while illegal logging remains a major problem, the impact of the response has been considerable. Illegal logging is estimated to have fallen during the last decade by 50 per cent in Cameroon, by between 50 and 75 per cent in the Brazilian Amazon, and by 75 per cent in Indonesia, while imports of illegally sourced wood to the seven consumer and processing countries studied are down 30 per cent from their peak.

Details: London: Chatham House, 2010. 132p.

Source: Accessed February 15, 2011 at: http://www.chathamhouse.org.uk/files/16950_0710pr_illegallogging.pdf

Year: 2010

Country: International

URL: http://www.chathamhouse.org.uk/files/16950_0710pr_illegallogging.pdf

Shelf Number: 120770

Keywords:
Illegal Logging
Illegal Trade
Offenses Against the Environment

Author: Lopez-Casero, Federico

Title: Customs Collaboration to Combat the Interntional Trade in Illegal Timber

Summary: While it is widely understood that forests fulfil economic, social and environmental functions that are critical to human survival and wellbeing, their destruction continues at an alarming rate; the area of primary forest in Asia decreased at an average rate of 1.5 million hectares per annum from 1990-2005 (FAO 2006, 135). Not all of this deforestation is planned. In developing tropical countries, illegal logging is a significant cause of forest degradation that often leads to permanent land use conversion. Because timber markets mostly do not distinguish between legal and illegal timber, international trade can inadvertently act as a driver of illegal logging. Various initiatives are underway to reform the international timber trade to support legal and sustainable forest operations. This policy brief presents the findings of a study conducted by IGES and The Nature Conservancy (TNC) from June 2008 to January 2010 under the Responsible Asia Forestry and Trade (RAFT) programme for customs agencies to be involved in this endeavour. We mostly associate customs with collecting revenues and combating the trade in narcotics, weapons, etc. but the IGESTNC study found that customs could also play an important role in reducing the cross-border movement of illegal timber. The recommendations of the IGES-TNC study include: • Use existing bilateral agreements on illegal logging to build the capacity of customs and collaboration within and between countries for more effective enforcement of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). • Use export declarations as a check on legality at the point of import. • Target regional processes and platforms for regular meetings between customs and forestry officials. • Make more effective use of existing World Customs Organisation (WCO) networks and tools.

Details: Kanagawa, Japan: Institute for Global Environmental Strategies, 2010. 8p.

Source: Internet Resource: Policy Brief No. 11: Accessed February 15, 2011 at: http://enviroscope.iges.or.jp/modules/envirolib/upload/2934/attach/pb11_e.pdf

Year: 2010

Country: International

URL: http://enviroscope.iges.or.jp/modules/envirolib/upload/2934/attach/pb11_e.pdf

Shelf Number: 120772

Keywords:
Customs/Borders
Illegal Logging
Illegal Trade
Offenses Against the Environment

Author: Barria Issa, Cecar A.

Title: The Use of Terrorism by Drug Trafficking Organizations' Paramilitary Groups in Mexico

Summary: "In the early 1990s, Drug Trafficking Organizations (DTOs) created their own military arms that later evolved into sophisticated paramilitary groups, now engaged in an all-out war against the state and/or anyone who represents an obstacle for their criminal activities. Furthermore, they are not hesitating to use tactics of extreme violence as terrorism to psychologically impact their enemies and those civilians not supporting them. Historically, terrorism related to drugs is new in Mexico but not in Latin America. The illegal drug trade has funded terrorist groups in Peru and Colombia, empowered criminal organizations and caused them to challenge the state's authority. An objective comparison of these cases can teach important lessons and show new paths to follow in the solution of Mexico's costly conflict. This thesis will define: How, where and why are DTO's paramilitary groups opting for terrorism in Mexico. It will outline the proper mechanisms to counter that terrorism. There is a long way to go to win the war on drugs in Mexico, but in order to apply new long term, less direct, and more social-based strategies, it is urgent for the state to set the proper security conditions in the short term."

Details: Monterey, CA: Naval Postgraduate School, 2010. 87p.

Source: Internet Resource: Theses: Accessed February 17, 2011 at: https://www.hsdl.org/?view&doc=136969&coll=limited

Year: 2010

Country: Mexico

URL: https://www.hsdl.org/?view&doc=136969&coll=limited

Shelf Number: 120810

Keywords:
Drug Trafficking (Mexico)
Illegal Trade
Paramilitary Groups
Terrorism

Author: Killicoat, Phillip

Title: Weaponomics: The Global Market for Assault Rifles

Summary: This paper introduces the first effort to quantitatively document the small arms market by collating field reports and journalist accounts to produce a cross-country time-series price index of Kalashnikov assault rifles. A model of the small arms market is developed and empirically estimated to identify the key determinants of assault rifle prices. Variables which proxy the effective height of trade barriers for illicit trade are consistently significant in determining weapon price variation. When controlling for other factors, the collapse of the Soviet Union does not have as large an impact on weapon prices as is generally believed.

Details: Washington, DC: The World Bank, 2007. 23p.

Source: Internet Resource: Policy Research Working Paper 4202; Accessed February 17, 2011 at: http://www-wds.worldbank.org/servlet/WDSContentServer/WDSP/IB/2007/04/13/000016406_20070413145045/Rendered/PDF/wps4202.pdf

Year: 2007

Country: International

URL: http://www-wds.worldbank.org/servlet/WDSContentServer/WDSP/IB/2007/04/13/000016406_20070413145045/Rendered/PDF/wps4202.pdf

Shelf Number: 120814

Keywords:
Arms Trafficking
Illegal Trade
Weapons

Author: U.S. Government Accountability Office

Title: Illicit Tobacco: Various Schemes Are Used to Evade Taxes and Fees

Summary: Tobacco products face varying levels of taxation in different locations, creating opportunities and incentives for illicit trade. Cigarettes are taxed at the federal, state, and in some cases, local levels. According to industry representatives, taxes and other fees make up significant components of the final price of cigarettes, averaging 53 percent of the retail price. While the national average retail price of a pack of cigarettes was $5.95 in 2010, in New York City, a pack can cost up to $13.00 or more due to high combined state and city taxes. In contrast, a pack of cigarettes in Richmond, Virginia, can cost approximately $5.00, due to low state cigarette taxes there. The tax differential between a case of cigarettes (typically containing 12,000 cigarettes) in New York City and Richmond is over $3,000, creating incentives for illicit trade and profits. Excise taxes and other fees on tobacco products can be evaded at numerous points in the supply chain. Law enforcement officials told us another incentive to engage in this activity is the fact illicit tobacco penalties are comparatively less severe than other forms of illicit trade. According to experts we spoke with and literature we reviewed, a wide range of schemes are used by different actors to profit from illicit trade in tobacco products, mainly through the evasion of taxes. Schemes can range from individual consumers purchasing tax-free cigarettes from Internet Web sites, to larger-scale interstate trafficking of tobacco products, to smuggling cigarettes into the country by criminal organizations. For example: (1) A California distributor purchased approximately $1.4 million in other tobacco products (e.g., cigars and chewing tobacco) from an out-ofstate distributor, who disguised the shipments using falsified documents and black plastic wrapping. The California distributor then sold it to customers and failed to pay state excise taxes. (2) A criminal organization attempted to conceal two containers of counterfeit cigarettes and pass them through Customs at the Los Angeles/Long Beach port by declaring them as toys and plastic goods. (3) A manufacturer evaded Tobacco Master Settlement Agreement (MSA) escrow payments. The manufacturer underreported its cross-border sales to numerous states, including Virginia. By underreporting its sales to Virginia, the manufacturer evaded approximately $580,000 in escrow payments. Law enforcement officials reported that patterns of schemes are dynamic and identified links between illicit trade in tobacco and other crimes.

Details: Washington, DC: GAO, 2011. 27p.

Source: Internet Resource: GAO-11-313: Accessed March 8, 2011 at: http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d11313.pdf

Year: 2011

Country: United States

URL: http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d11313.pdf

Shelf Number: 120888

Keywords:
Illegal Trade
Smuggling
Tax Evasion
Tobacco

Author: Panel of Experts on the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Title: Final Report of the Panel of Experts on the Illegal Exploitation of Natural Resources and Other Forms of Wealth of the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Summary: June 2000, the Council requested the U.N. Secretary-General to establish the Panel to follow up on reports and collect information on all activities of illegal exploitation of natural resources and other forms of wealth of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The Panel was also mandated to research and analyse the links between the exploitation of the natural resources and other forms of wealth in the Democratic Republic of Congo and the continuation of the conflict. The Panel’s first report, issued on 12 April 2001 (document S/2001/357), stated that illegal exploitation of the mineral and forest resources of the Democratic Republic of the Congo was in the form of mass-scale looting, as well as "systematic and systemic exploitation", which required planning and organization. Key individual actors -- on the one hand, including top army commanders and businessmen, and government structures, on the other -- have been the engines of that systematic and systemic exploitation. The report named functionaries, companies, banks and individuals involved in the exploitation. The current report notes that the "elite networks" involved in resource exploitation are changing their tactics, as national armies begin withdrawals from the eastern Congo, where a self-financing war economy had been built, centring on mineral exploitation. The Governments of Rwanda and Zimbabwe, as well as powerful individuals in Uganda, have adopted strategies for maintaining the mechanisms for revenue generation, many of which involve criminal activities, once their troops have departed. The elite network of Congolese and Zimbabwean political, military and commercial interests seeks to maintain its grip on the main mineral resources -- diamonds, cobalt, copper germanium -- of the government-controlled area. The network has transferred ownership of at least $5 billion of assets from the State- mining sector to private companies under its control in the past three years, with no compensation or benefit for the State treasury of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. In the report, the Panel identifies the circles and individuals in the elite network and its strategies for generating revenues, in the State-controlled area, as well as areas controlled by Rwanda and Uganda. Even with the establishment of an all-inclusive government, control over natural resources would require time and would be possible only within the framework of sound institution-building. In the interim, it is the view of the Panel that continued monitoring and reporting on illegal exploitation will at least serve to deter these activities. The most important element in halting that exploitation relates to the political will of those who support, protect and benefit from the networks, the report states. The Panel does not support the imposition of an embargo or moratorium banning the export of raw materials originating in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It says that, nevertheless, restrictive measures need to be taken vis-à-vis the role of companies and individuals involved in arms supply and resource plundering. There was also a need to apply forceful disincentive and incentives. The report states that an international conference on peace, security, democracy and sustainable development in the Great Lakes region would be an ideal forum at which to address the reorientation of the regional trading system to post-conflict imperatives, and for negotiating the framework of a multilateral agreement to carry it out. In further recommendations, the Panel calls for institutional reforms, financial and technical measures, and a monitoring process that could report to the Security Council on a regular basis.

Details: Vienna: United Nations Security Council, 2002. 59p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 15, 2011 at: www.grandslacs.net/doc/2477.pdf

Year: 2002

Country: Congo, Democratic Republic

URL:

Shelf Number: 121009

Keywords:
Crimes Against Nature
Illegal Mining
Illegal Trade
Natural Resources

Author: Martin, Esmond

Title: Ivory Markets in the USA

Summary: This report is the fifth in a series of surveys that depicts the status and trends of the elephant ivory markets in a particular region of the world. This investigation covered the United States of America (USA) and Vancouver, Canada. It differs significantly from previous studies of this trade by quantifying the nature and scale of the market. The investigators made the survey between March and December 2006 and March and May 2007. Seventeen cities and towns were selected for study based on their population size and wealth, and tourist importance. The purpose of the surveys is to enable CITES Parties and governmental and non-governmental wildlife conservation bodies to assess the scale of national ivory markets, and hence their potential impact on elephant populations. This initial round of surveys compared the data obtained with any existing figures to assess the changes that have taken place and to suggest trends in the ivory markets. CITES entered into force in the USA on 1 July 1975. The United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), under the Secretary of the Interior, is both the CITES Management Authority and Scientific Authority for the USA. The USFWS shares the responsibility for enforcing all US laws related to CITES and wildlife conservation with the US Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. CITES regulations and three federal laws mainly govern the ivory trade: The Endangered Species Act (ESA), the African Elephant Conservation Act (AECA) and the Lacey Act. People can legally import only three categories of ivory (with proper documentation) into the USA: antiques (items more than 100 years old), sport-hunted trophy tusks from approved African countries, and pre-Convention (i.e. pre-July 1975) tusks. The main findings of the USA survey were: • The survey found 24,004 ivory items in the 657 outlets in the 16 towns and cities visited in the USA, most of which probably were legally for sale. • New York City had by far the most ivory for sale with 11,376 items, followed by San Francisco (2,777) and Los Angeles (2,605). • The USA appeared to have the second largest ivory retail market in the world after China/Hong Kong, as determined by numbers of items seen for sale. • Perhaps 7,400 ivory items, or nearly one-third of the total, may have been crafted after 1989 making their importation illegal, but this estimate is tentative and should be treated with caution because of the difficulties of dating ivory objects. • The western USA, particularly Honolulu (Hawaii), San Francisco and Los Angeles (California), appeared to have more post-1989 worked ivory for sale than the eastern cities. • The size of the ivory market has declined since 1989, with many former businesses closing. • In 1989, retail outlets or workshops sold most worked ivory. Now fewer outlets and workshops exist, and buyers find an increasingly larger proportion of worked and raw ivory from Internet sites, some of which are foreign based. • The USA has a minimum of 120 full- and part-time ivory craftsmen. This is down from an estimate of 1,400 craftsmen in 1989. • No large ivory factories remain: craftsmen are scattered throughout the USA working in small workshops, usually at home. • Craftsmen use mostly old, legal, raw ivory to manufacture new knife, gun and walking stick handles, scrimshaw pieces, cue stick parts and jewellery. They often use broken or damaged ivory items for restoration work. • The country consumes an estimated less than one tonne of raw ivory annually, down from seven tonnes a year in the late 1980s. Craftsmen each use an average of 8 kg of ivory a year and say that the USA has an adequate supply. • No official stockpile of raw ivory exists and there has been no government census of private raw ivory stocks in the USA. • Raw ivory has increased little in price since the CITES ivory trade ban. Adjusting the 1990 price of USD 110-154/kg for 1-5 kg tusks for inflation gives USD 152-212/kg in 2006 USD. The 2006/2007 price was USD 154-346/kg. • Raw ivory is bought through craftsmen networks or on the Internet. Internet prices are higher than person-to-person trading. • Tusks of 3-5 kg are more expensive per kilo than tusks of 10 kg, unlike in Asia, Africa or Europe where larger tusks command higher prices. • Prices per kilo for cut tusk sections, blocks or slabs are much higher than for whole tusks, with 0.2-1.0 kg pieces selling for USD 500-1,760/kg. • The USA legally imported some 3,530 tusks and about 2,400 raw ivory pieces between 1990 and 2005 according to the UNEP-WCMC CITES Trade Database. The present study found evidence suggesting that some of this material was illegally sold into the commercial market. • Over 40,000 worked ivory items, excluding personal effects, entered the USA legally from 1995-2007 according to the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). All these items should have been antiques to be legal. Inspection of pieces (mainly Chinese) in shops suggested that many figurines, netsukes and jewellery items were recently made. Some African items also looked recently made. • Previous studies found that ivory workshops in Asia and Africa produce fake antiques. Thus, even the imported worked ivory into the USA that seems old could be recently made. • The USA has a good record of enforcing CITES regulations in respect of international wildlife trade and has reported the largest number of seizures of illegal ivory in the world, according to the Elephant Trade Information System. • CITES Resolution Conf. 10.10 (Rev. CoP14) recommended that Parties that import and trade elephant ivory implement several trade regulation and control measures. The USA has not yet implemented any of the recommendations. • US federal and state agencies rarely inspect shops or Internet sites for illegal raw or worked ivory. • Ivory vendors and craftsmen in general do not believe that the 1999 CITES ivory auction that allowed Japan to buy from southern Africa affected ivory demand in the USA. • Ivory craftsmen think the ivory industry will continue at its present level and express little concern for the future availability of raw ivory. • Most ivory vendors and craftsmen in the USA think the authorities should establish a regulated, legal international trade in ivory. • This study determined that the US ivory market has a small detrimental effect on elephant populations, more from importing illegal worked ivory for retail sale than from local ivory manufacturing. Some contraband gets past Customs and there are no effective internal ivory transport and retail market controls. • Vancouver, Canada, had a total of 234 ivory items for sale in 45 outlets. There was no Chinese ivory market, as seen in the western USA.

Details: Kingsford, UK: Care for the Wild International; Nairobi, Kenya: Save the Elephants, 2008. 122p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 29, 2011 at: http://www.savetheelephants.org/files/pdf/publications/2008%20Martin%20&%20Stiles%20Ivory%20Markets%20in%20the%20USA.pdf

Year: 2008

Country: United States

URL: http://www.savetheelephants.org/files/pdf/publications/2008%20Martin%20&%20Stiles%20Ivory%20Markets%20in%20the%20USA.pdf

Shelf Number: 121194

Keywords:
Illegal Trade
Ivory
Wildlife Crime

Author: Chonaill, Siobhan Ni

Title: Assessing the Illegal Trade in Cultural Property from a Public Policy Perspective

Summary: The aim of this research is to explore new ways of curtailing the illegal trade in cultural property. Despite a range of legislative and policy interventions, the trade in illicit art and antiquities continues to flourish, resulting in damage to the arts, scholarship and heritage. Through an exploration of existing intervention tools, two case studies and a set of key informant interviews, this study demonstrates the existing difficulties in curtailing the market in cultural property and explores the potential for new policy interventions. More specifically, we map the supply chain for the illegal trade in cultural property and explore the failures of current policy interventions through two case studies, the Medici trading cartel and the Beit collection robberies. We conclude with a number of research and policy conclusions.

Details: Santa Monica, CA: RAND, 2011. 36p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 28, 2011 at: http://www.rand.org/pubs/documented_briefings/DB602.html

Year: 2011

Country: International

URL: http://www.rand.org/pubs/documented_briefings/DB602.html

Shelf Number: 121572

Keywords:
Cultural Property
Illegal Trade
Illicit Trade
Visual Arts

Author: Padavan, Frank

Title: The Counterfeit Connection : The Counterfeit Goods Trade, Intellectual Property Theft and Terrorist Financing: With a Discussion of Illegal Immigration, Alien Smuggling and Human Trafficking

Summary: This report focuses on the counterfeit goods trade and its connection to terrorism financing. The purpose of the report is to explore the connections between illegal immigration, including alien smuggling and human trafficking, and the counterfeit goods trade and terrorist financing.

Details: Albany, NY: New York State Senate Majority Task Force on Immigration, 2005. 108p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 29, 2011 at: http://nysl.nysed.gov/uhtbin/cgisirsi/xK6obNlwCS/NYSL/62700081/9

Year: 2005

Country: United States

URL: http://nysl.nysed.gov/uhtbin/cgisirsi/xK6obNlwCS/NYSL/62700081/9

Shelf Number: 121574

Keywords:
Counterfeit Goods
Human Trafficking
Illegal Aliens
Illegal Trade
Immigration
Terrorism
Terrorist Financing

Author: van Kooten, G. Cornelis

Title: Protecting the African Elephant: A Dynamic Bioeconomic Model of Ivory Trade

Summary: International trade in ivory is banned in order to protect the African elephant. The trade ban is supported by some range states, because it is seen as an effective means for protecting a 'flagship' species, but is opposed by states, mainly in southern Africa, because populations exceed the carrying capacity of local ecosystems. Issues concerning the ivory trade ban are addressed in this paper using a dynamic partial-equilibrium trade model that consists of four ivory exporting regions and a single demand region. Results indicate that a trade ban might not be successful in maintaining elephant populations, even if it leads to a stigma effect that reduces demand and increases the marginal costs of marketing ivory. Results suggest that the species will survive only if non-market values are taken into account. Surprisingly, however, the interaction between tourism benefits and marginal compensation from rich countries can lead to the demise of elephants in some regions where this would not be the case otherwise. Finally, elephant populations are even projected to crash if range states can operate an effective quota scheme, even one that excludes poaching. In the final analysis, however, free trade in ivory and effective institutions that translate numbers of elephants into monetary payments may be the best hope for the elephant.

Details: Selected paper presented at the American Agricultural Economics Association Annual Meetings at Long Beach, CA, July 23-26, 2006. 50p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 9, 2011 at: http://ageconsearch.umn.edu/bitstream/21206/1/sp06va02.pdf

Year: 2006

Country: Africa

URL: http://ageconsearch.umn.edu/bitstream/21206/1/sp06va02.pdf

Shelf Number: 121690

Keywords:
Cartels
Illegal Trade
Ivory
Poaching
Wildlife Crime

Author: Allen, Elizabeth

Title: The Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products and How to Tackle It

Summary: This publication aims to raise awareness of the growing and evolving illicit trade in tobacco products. It is a compilation of facts and views from a wide range of sources including respected academics, private sector consultants, journalists, international enforcement organizations, government revenue authorities and industry. It defines the different aspects of illicit trade and provides information on ways of measuring its size. It analyzes the nature of the problem, its causes and consequences, and offers authorities best practice guidance on implementing anti-illicit trade strategies. Case studies are used to provide evidence of good practice and global efforts to tackle this serious problem.

Details: Brussels: International Tax and Investment Center, 2011. 36p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 11, 2011 at: http://www.iticnet.org/Public/PublicDocLanding.aspx?id=41&type=Brussels

Year: 2011

Country: International

URL: http://www.iticnet.org/Public/PublicDocLanding.aspx?id=41&type=Brussels

Shelf Number: 121692

Keywords:
Illegal Cigarettes
Illegal Trade
Illicit Trade
Smuggling
Tobacco

Author: de Koning, Ruben

Title: Conflict Minerals in the Democratic Republic of the Congo: Aligning Trade and Security Interventions

Summary: Mineral resources have played a crucial role in fuelling protracted armed conflict in the east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Illegal armed groups, state forces and civilian authorities are all involved in illicit rent seeking from the mineral sector, with serious repercussions for security, human rights and development. This Policy Paper examines the the prospects for and interactions between various trade- and security-related initiatives that are aimed at demilitarizing the supply chains of key minerals. It also describes the changing context in which such initiatives operate following a series of military campaigns against illegal armed groups. Finally, it offers policy recommendations for how the Congolese Government and international actors can coordinate and strengthen their responses in order to break resource–conflict links in eastern DRC.

Details: Stockholm: Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, 2011. 42p.

Source: Internet Resource: SIPRI Policy Paper 27: Accessed July 6, 2011 at:

Year: 2011

Country: Congo, Democratic Republic

URL:

Shelf Number: 121979

Keywords:
Armed Conflict
Criminal Violence (Congo, Democratic Republic of)
Illegal Trade
Natural Resources
Smuggling

Author: de Ville, Geraud

Title: Good Deal, Bad Deal. Report of the conference "Illegal Trade in Natural Resources - What Can Brussels Do?"

Summary: Natural resources are the backbone of the global economy. Many emerging economies are based on exporting natural resources to industrialised countries fuelling global markets in much needed raw materials. In accountable States, the income generated should be used to serve development needs, for example to finance the construction of infrastructures or programmes for poverty alleviation. However, governments sometimes lack the capacity or the legitimacy to regulate the exploitation of these assets. In these cases, natural resources can become a cause for corruption, social disputes and even violent conflicts. The problem is well known. In countries plagued by weak governance and in conflict‐ridden countries, the governments are incapable of controlling domestic resources that are being exploited criminally. These illegally extracted resources are exported owing to illegal doings of corrupt businessmen, rebels and also state and military officials. Importing countries are a key link in this dark picture as they unintentionally provide the finances that reinforce bad elements in the system. Therefore greater attention should be dedicated to their role and responsibili:es. A central element in the Institute for Environmental Security’s “Pathfinder Programme” on new legal mechanisms to combat trade in illegally extracted natural resources was the organization of a state‐of‐the‐art conference in Brussels. The idea was not to focus on one specific resource such as timber or minerals or on a specific region or country such as the DRC or Indonesia but to build bridges between practitioners and policy makers and try to understand what a regional power such as the European Union could do to help combat trade in illegally extracted natural resources.

Details: The Hague: Institute for Environmental Security, 2010. 54p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed July 12, 2011 at: http://www.envirosecurity.org/pathfinder/conference/Report_Final_med.pdf

Year: 2010

Country: International

URL: http://www.envirosecurity.org/pathfinder/conference/Report_Final_med.pdf

Shelf Number: 122038

Keywords:
Illegal Trade
Natural Resources
Offenses Against the Environment

Author: Ng, Julia

Title: Tiger Trade Revisited in Sumatra, Indonesia

Summary: The Sumatran Tiger is listed as Critically Endangered on the IUCN 2006 Red List of Threatened Animals, as Appendix I under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) and as a Protected species under the Act of the Republic of Indonesia No.5 of 1990 Concerning Conservation of Living Resources and their Ecosystems. However, despite being given full protection in Indonesia and internationally, Tiger parts are still found openly in trade in Sumatra. TRAFFIC revisited the markets of Sumatra in 2006 to conduct Tiger trade surveys, four years after the last TRAFFIC survey from 1999–2002 (Shepherd and Magnus, 2004). All intelligence information obtained on the names and addresses of retail outlets selling Tiger parts from the 1999–2002 survey were given to the Indonesian authorities, at province and federal level, prior to the report being published. Unfortunately, little or no action was taken by the Indonesian authorities against these retail outlets selling Tiger parts or the retail outlets’ owners. Results from the 1999–2002 survey were published in both English and Indonesian, the latter were then widely distributed to all Indonesian enforcement agencies. To raise awareness on Tiger trade among enforcement agencies in Sumatra, three training workshops were conducted there in 2006, two of which were Tiger focused, the third on general wildlife crime enforcement and included a component on Tiger trade. The 2006 surveys were conducted over a seven month period in 28 cities/towns in seven Sumatran provinces and nine seaports. A total of 326 retail outlets were surveyed which were goldsmiths, souvenir and Traditional Chinese Medicine shops, and antiques and precious stones vendors. TRAFFIC returned to the markets to investigate and document again the open availability of Tiger parts for sale, and to investigate further possible trade links between Indonesia and Malaysia. The information gathered in Sumatra is presented here and it is hoped it will clearly highlight the priority actions that should be taken and how resources should best be distributed in combating the trade of Tiger parts. In addition, TRAFFIC has given the findings of this report, including the names and addresses of the retail outlets found selling Tiger parts to the enforcement authorities in April 2007, and hopes that action will be taken against these retail outlets. Of the 28 cities and towns surveyed in Sumatra, eight (29%) were found to have Tiger parts for sale. At least ten percent of the total retail outlets surveyed sold Tiger parts. A conservative estimate of the number of Tigers killed, based on the number of Tiger canines found during the market surveys is 23 Tigers. From the results, it is evident that the trade in Tiger parts continues openly, and the number of Tiger canines, claws and skin pieces found openly for sale in North Sumatra province is higher compared to the 1999–2002 survey. Medan and Pancur Batu are the main hubs for the trade of Tiger parts in this province but there were no Tiger cases brought to the Indonesian criminal court in these two cities between 2004 and 2006. This indicates that enforcement efforts are lacking in these two important hubs for Tiger parts. However, for the provinces of Jambi, South Sumatra and West Sumatra, there is an indication of a decrease in the trade of Tiger parts compared to the 1999–2002 survey. Binjai, Jambi, Palembang, Padang and Bukit Tinggi recorded a drop in the open availability of Tiger parts for sale. The reason for this is unclear, but it could be that more traders are aware that the Tiger is a protected species and therefore they are more wary of whom they talk to, or there are fewer Tigers in the wild compared to five years ago, or more optimistically, because fewer poachers and traders are hunting and selling protected species. Surveys at the ports on the east coast of Sumatra did not provide any conclusive evidence that Tigers or their parts are being exported to Malaysia or Singapore. Only birds were found to be smuggled out of the Belawan and Dumai seaports. It is obvious that no amount of Tiger action plan workshops and Tiger trade surveys conducted will save the Sumatran Tiger. What is needed now is for strict enforcement to take place in Sumatra to stop the poaching of Tigers and the trade. This report therefore recommends that resources should be concentrated on effective enforcement to take place to protect Tiger habitats and combat the trade by arresting the main dealers/suppliers of Tigers and closing down retail outlets selling Tiger parts. The specific recommendations for this report are: 1) The Indonesian authorities must take prompt action against the open trade of Tiger parts in Sumatra by closing down retail outlets selling Tiger parts; 2) Other actions include monitoring of Tiger trade hotspots (such as Medan and Pancur Batu), to gather intelligence information of retail outlets selling illegal wildlife parts so they can be promptly raided; 3) Successful prosecutions of owners of retail outlets selling Tiger parts are needed. PHKA, KSDA and the relevant NGOs must raise awareness among the judiciary on the seriousness of wildlife crime and investigators should be given proper training on collecting sufficient evidence for making a strong case; 4) Better inter-agency cooperation is needed among the different enforcement agencies, such as Quarantine and Customs at the seaports and the Police to carry out the raids at retail outlets. The formation and function of the ASEAN-WEN Wildlife Crime Task Force, involving agencies such as the Judiciary, Customs, Police, Navy and Quarantine, should be hastened.

Details: Petaling Jaya, Malaysia: TRAFFIC Southeast Asia, 2007. 59p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed July 14, 2011 at: www.traffic.org

Year: 2007

Country: Indonesia

URL:

Shelf Number: 122057

Keywords:
Illegal Trade
Poaching
Tigers
Wild Animal Trade
Wildlife Crimes
Wildlife Smuggling

Author: Hoisington, Caroline

Title: Rough Trade: How Australia's Trade Policies Contribute to Illegal Logging in the Pacific Region

Summary: The Australian Government is not doing enough to ensure that Australian imports of forestry products are consistent with the goals of Australian aid programs and stated commitments to reduce greenhouse gases. Australian aid includes programs and projects to help Indonesia, Papua New Guinea and the Pacific Island nations to better manage their forestry resources for long-term sustainability, maximum socioeconomic benefit for their citizens and to participate in REDD (reduced emissions from deforestation and forest destruction), the innovative program rewarding carbon sequestration. Illegal logging in these countries is more extensive than generally understood and it is a serious impediment to achieving the goals of Australian aid programs. Illegal logging is a major cause of deforestation and environmental destruction; it undermines nations’ efforts to manage forest resources for a sustainable industry, destroys the livelihood of forest-dwellers and costs governments large sums in lost revenue. It fosters corruption and is associated with organised crime and violence. It undercuts the international and Australian domestic markets for wood products from legally managed forestry by being cheaper. Deforestation is responsible for about 20 per cent of global greenhouse-gas emissions, and illegal logging is responsible for a large part of the deforestation. Continued illegal logging demonstrates that governments cannot protect their forest resources and it undermines their credibility for participation in the REDD mechanism. Ultimately, illegal logging is market-driven and a significant part of the demand is international. Australia inadvertently contributes to these problems by importing timber and wood products, including wooden furniture, without adequate controls in place to ensure that the wood is legally sourced. The lack of legal mechanisms available to Customs for the control of illegal wood imports is inconsistent with the goal of Australia’s aid program, environmentally sound management of natural resources among neighbouring countries and at home. It may benefit the importers of certain products by keeping prices low but those artificially low prices undercut Australia’s own forestry and forestry-based industries. Several specific measures are recommended to ensure that timber and wood-product imports are legally sourced.

Details: Bruce, ACT, AUS: The Australia Institute, University of Canberra, 2010. 93p.

Source: Internet Resource: Institute Paper No. 5: Accessed July 27, 2011 at: www.tai.org.au

Year: 2010

Country: Australia

URL:

Shelf Number: 122177

Keywords:
Illegal Logging (Australia)
Illegal Trade
Natural Resources
Offenses Against the Environment
Organized Crime

Author: Beckert, Jens

Title: In the Shadow: Illegal Markets and Economic Sociology

Summary: Illegal markets differ from legal markets in many respects. Although illegal markets have economic significance and are of theoretical importance, they have been largely ignored by economic sociology. In this article we propose a categorization for illegal markets and highlight reasons why certain markets are outlawed. We perform a comprehensive review of the literature to characterize illegal markets along the three coordination problems of value creation, competition, and cooperation. The article concludes by appealing to economic sociology to strengthen research on illegal markets and by suggesting areas for future empirical research.

Details: Cologne, Germany: Max Planck Institute for the Study of Societies, 2011. 29p.

Source: Internet Resource: MPIfG Discussion Paper 11/9: Accessed August 5, 2011 at: http://www.mpifg.de/pu/mpifg_dp/dp11-9.pdf

Year: 2011

Country: International

URL: http://www.mpifg.de/pu/mpifg_dp/dp11-9.pdf

Shelf Number: 122306

Keywords:
Economics and Crime
Illegal Markets
Illegal Trade

Author: Stengel, Carrie J.

Title: The Trade in Tortoises and Freshwater Turtles in Jakarta Revisited

Summary: In recent years, the Indonesian capital of Jakarta has become a focal point for the pet trade in tortoises and freshwater turtles. Alarmingly, observed trends indicate much of this trade is illegal and includes a growing number of threatened species. Regular monitoring of wildlife markets is essential to keep abreast of current trade dynamics and aid enforcement efforts at strategic points along the trade chain. In line with recommendations made in earlier studies on the trade in tortoises and freshwater turtles, TRAFFIC made follow-up observations of freshwater turtles and tortoises for sale in Jakarta’s major markets in 2010. Direct observations were undertaken to determine the current extent of trade, trends, species composition and, through analysis of the collected data, attempt to obtain proxy measures of current enforcement effort to combat illegal trade.

Details: Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia, TRAFFIC Southeast Asia, 2011. 24p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed August 22, 2011 at: http://www.traffic.org/home/2011/8/17/jakartas-illegal-trade-in-threatened-tortoises-and-turtles-p.html

Year: 2011

Country: Indonesia

URL: http://www.traffic.org/home/2011/8/17/jakartas-illegal-trade-in-threatened-tortoises-and-turtles-p.html

Shelf Number: 122450

Keywords:
Illegal Trade
Turtles and Tortoises
Wildlife Crime (Jakarta)

Author: Environmental Investigation Agency

Title: Made In China: How China's Illegal Ivory Trade is Causing a 21st Century African Elephant Disaster

Summary: China has the largest illegal ivory trade of any nation in the world. It is the most significant global destination for illegal ivory. Ivory traders are now thought to be stockpiling elephant tusks and ivory products for lucrative sales to the hundreds of thousands of foreigners expected to attend the Beijing Olympics in the summer of 2008. China’s long failure to crack down on its massive illegal ivory trade makes a mockery of its claims to be hosting a “Green Olympics”. Chinese nationals, companies – some government owned – and organized crime syndicates are implicated in the smuggling of vast amounts of illegal ivory and the consequent elephant poaching afflicting much of Africa. Countries affected include Sudan, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, Chad, Kenya, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Malawi, Mozambique, Nigeria, Cameroon, and Mali. Indications suggest that Chinese involvement in illegal ivory trade extends to other African elephant range states as well. With Chinese investment and human presence in resource extraction operations across Africa skyrocketing, demand for ivory will overwhelm the ability of range states to conserve their elephants from poaching gangs connected to Chinese ivory buyers, often in collusion with corrupt government officials. China’s massive illegal ivory trade is not an accident. Failure by the Government of China to ensure meaningful enforcement of CITES regulations that prohibit the import and export of ivory resulted in illegal ivory flooding onto the domestic market in the 1990’s. China’s demand for ivory is directly responsible for the renewed poaching crisis facing many African elephant populations, as this report shows. After CITES increased protection for Africa’s rapidly disappearing elephants by banning international trade in ivory products in 1989, China neglected to fully enshrine those legal protections in domestic law for 17 years. Over that period its government did little to enforce CITES regulations prohibiting ivory imports or exports. Major failures included a vast loophole enabling traders to register ivory which they had “forgotten” to register at the time of the 1989 CITES ban as “pre-convention”, in effect enabling smuggled ivory to be legalized and then moved onto China’s flourishing domestic market. Illegal ivory seized by Chinese government agencies is also alleged to have disappeared into government ivory stocks. Numerous traders have confirmed that government ivory stocks continued to be sold to them in the 1990’s and 2000’s, including via government owned companies. Even the ruling Communist Party of China is reported to have held ivory stocks which were sold to traders. Organized smuggling syndicates have proliferated across Africa in recent years as Chinese companies and nationals pour into the continent, extracting its rich resources to fuel the explosive growth in manufacturing on the Chinese mainland. Whether working for oil companies in Sudan and Angola, or logging companies in west and central Africa, some Chinese nationals are tempted into working for the lucrative underground ivory trade. Africa’s elephants are paying the price for China’s failure to enforce the CITES ban. Recent commendable efforts by China’s government to suppress the illegal ivory trade have resulted in some high-profile seizures as well as restrictions on ivory product sales. Yet the government has now legalized dozens of companies thought to be implicated in illicit trade. Further, it undermines its own efforts to crack down on illegal trade by auctioning off confiscated poached ivory to domestic traders. Worse, China is now seeking legal approval from CITES to take part in future ivory auctions in order to expand its domestic trade. The Chinese government’s determination to host a “Green Olympics” in 2008 will be badly tainted if it continues to protect a domestic ivory trade that is fueling widespread poaching and illegal trade across several continents. The country’s very belated efforts to ratchet up enforcement operations against large-scale smuggling and commercial trade in ivory are not enough to prevent a 21st century African elephant disaster, driven by Chinese consumer demand. Instead the Government of China can affirm its commitment to CITES and to protecting endangered species by taking immediate action to ban the domestic trade in ivory. By simplifying enforcement procedures and empowering enforcement personnel across the nation, ivory trade can be eliminated within China’s borders. A precedent already exists. In 1993 China banned domestic rhino horn trade after rhino poaching in Africa and Asia and the flow of horns to China had reached crisis levels. China’s successful action to save the world’s rhinos demonstrated high level political will to protect the wildlife of other nations. Today, China’s people face two key questions with regard to another beloved endangered species: the African elephant. First, where does all the ivory in China come from, almost 18 years after international trade was banned? And second, does the Government of China have the political will to ban the domestic ivory trade that is helping to push many African elephant populations towards extinction?

Details: London; Washington, DC: EIA, 2007. 36p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed August 31, 2011 at: http://www.eia-global.org/PDF/Report--MadeInChina--Species--May07.pdf

Year: 2007

Country: China

URL: http://www.eia-global.org/PDF/Report--MadeInChina--Species--May07.pdf

Shelf Number: 122567

Keywords:
Endangered Species
Illegal Trade
Ivory
Organized Crime
Poaching
Wildlife Crime (China)

Author: Cadman, Mike

Title: Consuming Wild Life: The Illegal Exploitation of Wild Animals In South Africa, Zimbabwe and Zambia: A Preliminary Report

Summary: The illegal killing of wild animals poses an urgent threat to their survival and involves enormous cruelty, untold suffering, pain and death for individual animals, family groups and social networks. The raison d’etre for this report was, therefore, to attempt to get an overview of the current scale of illegal killing of wild life in South Africa and the southern African region more broadly. This Report represents the groundwork – a foundation to build on. The need for further research is extensive. However, this preliminary investigation clearly reveals a startling picture – one of enormous suffering, an inability by state agencies to adequately monitor the illegal killing of wild animals, a lack of centralised statistics and data, an uncoordinated response from authorities, insufficient enforcement and a general way of thinking that promotes killing instead of protection and respect. South Africa and its neighbours have flourishing illegal wild animal markets and in South Africa, particularly, this is compounded by its geographical location and relatively sophisticated infrastructure. Indeed, poaching is taking place in an increasingly organised scale. Africa has seen the unprecedented annihilation of wild animals as a result of poaching and it is being fuelled by the profits that are made by commercial wildlife traffickers (often to satisfy consumer demand abroad) and uncontrolled commercial exploitation. This is part of a global problem which according to Interpol is worth some US$12 billion a year. Throughout Africa, money is the driving force of this illegal trade and it is motivated by greed and aided by corruption, inadequate ranger staffing, public attitudes to wildlife, lack of public awareness, lack of data and lack of adequate law enforcement. There are three general categories of consumptive use of wild animals: commercial trophy hunting, illegal poaching (including subsistence hunting), and commercial farming. Nearly all illegal poaching is commercial. For purposes of this report ‘poaching’ is defined as hunting wild animals for food and entrepreneurial exploitation, including the bushmeat trade for local and urban trade, trafficking (locally and cross-border) and trade in live animals and body parts. The traditional medicines market is an important component in the illegal wildlife trade. The killers come in a variety of forms: they may be local people, they may be using snares, they maybe using guns or they may be the lowest link in a massive international mafia chain of wildlife trade that is today almost as big as the drug trade. Poachers are thus often highly organised armed gangs and hardened criminals. Methods of poaching include: shooting, snaring (using wire, cables etc.), gin traps, poisoning and the use of packs of dogs. It is generally believed that wild animals are safe in Reserves. However, research has revealed that many of the reserves in southern Africa are heavily targeted by armed poachers. Of concern is that in some instances the park rangers themselves are poaching. A recent research study undertaken by Professor Greg L. Warchol shows “numerous instances of rangers poaching for bushmeat, elephant ivory and rhino horn. In a Kruger National Park-sanctioned ‘culling’ effort, rangers authorised to kill 120 impala illegally killed an additional 60 for sale to a local butcher shop. One Kruger ranger was arrested for shooting 20 white rhinos and another admitted to killing at least 46 over 12 years to pay his gambling debts.” Poaching, trafficking and the bushmeat trade continue to thrive and expand in the region because there are flawed efforts to combat it. In particular, it is as a result of: 􀂃 The ‘sustainable’ and consumptive use context, i.e., the belief that animals are a resource to be used rather than protected. An illegal activity occurs within a framework where the same activity (killing for food or for profit), is legal. The key to this problem is that animals are seen as property, whether the property of the landowner, of governments or of rural communities. This commodification of sentient beings implies their exploitation. 􀂃 Inadequate leadership from government – insufficient priority is being given to wildlife crime. Protecting wildlife is often viewed as a low priority. 􀂃 Poor conceptualisation and implementation of non-consumptive poverty relief and development projects. 􀂃 Wildlife laws are too weak, ambiguous and contradictory. 􀂃 Prosecutors and magistrates are often unfamiliar with wildlife laws. 􀂃 Strong enforcement and compliance is lacking. 􀂃 Low levels of staffing and capacity. 􀂃 Lack of effective anti-poaching strategies, nationally and regionally. 􀂃 Effective public awareness-raising is wanting. This report strongly indicates that urgent action is needed. It is imperative that authorities in the region address this grave situation and take effective steps to prevent wildlife crime and protect wild animals in the region so as to: 1. Create and coordinate long-term programmes and strategies at a national and regional level; 2. Reduce national demand; 3. Mitigate poaching activities; 4. Expose the extent of poaching and trade; 5. Gather intelligence for future analytical reports and to identify enforcement priorities; 6. Determine what animals are being targeted. Animal Rights Africa therefore recommends that governments in the region need to implement the following strategies: 􀂃 Establish national and regional Wildlife Crime Databases. 􀂃 Review policies and legislation. 􀂃 Review policy of ‘sustainable use’ and consumptive use. 􀂃 Ensure that legislation and judicial systems support prosecutions and higher penalties. 􀂃 Build capacity, increase numbers, train and support rangers. 􀂃 Forge partnerships; between government agencies, with NGOs and intergovernmentally. 􀂃 Actively seek participation of civil society. 􀂃 Promote public awareness and education which is aimed at protecting and respecting animals in the wild. 􀂃 Investigate non-consumptive ways of addressing hunger.

Details: Animal Rights Africa; Zwe African Wild Life, 2007. 43p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed August 31, 2011 at: http://www.animalrightsafrica.org/Archive/Consuming_Wild_Life_290307_final.pdf

Year: 2007

Country: Africa

URL: https://docplayer.net/21741902-Consuming-wild-life-the-illegal-exploitation-of-wild-animals-in-south-africa-zimbabwe-and-zambia-a-preliminary-report.html

Shelf Number: 122568

Keywords:
Illegal Trade
Organized Crime
Poaching
Wildlife Crime (Africa)

Author: Kabir, FHM Humayan

Title: Tracing Illicit Tobacco Trade in South Asia. Focus Countries: Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka

Summary: As evidenced by the on-going negotiations of a protocol to combat illicit trade into tobacco products by the Parties to the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, the illegal trade in tobacco products has come to receive international attention in recent times. Nevertheless, evidence regarding the nature, magnitude and strategies to address the problem is largely limited to Europe and North America. Illicit trade was estimated to constitute nearly 11.6 % of global cigarette sales in 2009. In Asia, illicit trade constituted 9 % of the overall sales. Existing estimates and media reports indicate Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka in South Asia as highly vulnerable to this out-law trade. Illicit tobacco trade undermines public health measures such as taxation that help reduce tobacco use. Preliminary media reports from the region point towards linkages of illicit tobacco trade with extensive tax evasion, sabotage of customs and border controls and money laundering. South Asia region presents some unique challenges to regulating illicit tobacco trade. The vast variety of tobacco products illegally traded within and out of the region and the major modes of trade differ considerably from the markets in the West that are familiar to international policy makers and regulators. The inadequacies of the tax collection mechanisms and the recent spurt in Free Trade Zones in the Four-Country Research Summary region poses unique challenges to regulating illicit trade in South Asia. Research by Center for Public Integrity in the region also informs key areas for further research. In developing an effective global strategy to combat illicit tobacco trade, it is important to begin by ascertaining the nature and modes of this illegal trade, their implications for public health, economy and the society and possible means to control them. Framework Convention Alliance and HealthBridge has therefore commissioned a multi-country investigative researchexploring the nature and magnitude of illicit tobacco trade inBangladesh, India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. The research was conducted between November 2009 and September 2010. In-country researchers with expertise in investigative research from the four study countries gathered information on the illegal supply chain of tobacco and allied industries and analysed its contributing factors and impact on national and regional economies and public safety. The researchers engaged primary and secondary sources in gathering information. The analysis and views expressed in the country reports are solely that of the country researchers. While the study objectives varied slightly in line with country priorities, the overarching goals of the multi-country research were to: 1. Explore the nature, forms and magnitude of illicit trade in tobacco and tobacco products in the study countries 2. Describe the impact of illicit tobacco trade on national and regional economy and public safety 3. Identify challenges in controling the illicit tobacco trade 4. Identify best practices and strategies to control illicit trade in tobacco products.

Details: Ottawa: HealthBridge, 2010. 97p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed November 4, 2011 at: http://www.healthbridge.ca/Illicit%20Tobacco%20Trade%20in%20South%20Asia.pdf

Year: 2010

Country: Asia

URL: http://www.healthbridge.ca/Illicit%20Tobacco%20Trade%20in%20South%20Asia.pdf

Shelf Number: 123223

Keywords:
Cigarette Smuggling
Illegal Trade
Illicit Tobacco (South Asia)
Organized Crime

Author: The Green Political Foundation

Title: Natural Resources and Conflict

Summary: Hollywood depicted it in graphic fashion: the film “Blood Diamond” tells the story of the battle for control of the diamond mines in the West African country of Sierra Leone and its brutal consequences for its people. The diamond trade's role in financing the wars in Angola, Liberia and Sierra Leone led to international condemnation of the trade in “conflict diamonds" and the launch of the Kimberley Process. The links between conflict and the extraction of a given resource are not always so clear-cut, however, and a country's resource wealth does not necessarily lead to violent conflict, as the examples of Norway and Canada, but also Botswana and Chile show. Yet resource-rich countries do appear to be more susceptible to conflict than the resource-poor. This risk seems to be greatest when resource extraction accounts for a substantial proportion (around 30%) of GDP1: in other words, in countries which are largely dependent on the export of primary commodities such as metal ores, oil and gas. This does not apply to countries with major oil fields and a small population, such as Brunei, Dubai and Kuwait, which can use the substantial revenues generated by their oil exports to purchase social peace. Yet in most resource dependent economically poor countries in Africa, Latin America and Asia, resource extraction is linked to conflict. So the question is this: which role do natural resources play in conflicts?

Details: Berlin: The Green Political Foundation,

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 4, 2012 at http://www.boell.de/downloads/Resources_and_Conflict.pdf

Year: 0

Country: International

URL: http://www.boell.de/downloads/Resources_and_Conflict.pdf

Shelf Number: 123967

Keywords:
Conflict Diamonds
Illegal Diamonds
Illegal Trade

Author: Engler, Maylynn

Title: Opportunity or Threat: The Role of the European Union in Global Wildlife Trade

Summary: The European Union (EU) ranks as the top global importer by value of many wild animal and plant commodities, including tropical timber, caviar, reptile skins and live reptiles. In 2005, the legal trade in wildlife products in the EU had an estimated declared import value of EUR93 billion, and EUR2.5 billion excluding timber and fisheries. As EU membership has expanded, the magnitude of the EU market for wildlife and wildlife products has also increased. The links between biodiversity conservation and sustainable development are now universally acknowledged, for example in the Millennium Development Goals and the conclusions of the World Summit on Sustainable Development. A sustainable trade in wild species can contribute significantly to rural incomes, and the effect upon local economies in developing countries can be substantial. The high value of wildlife and wildlife products can also provide a positive incentive for local communities to conserve wild species and their habitats. Consequently, sustainable wildlife trade is potentially beneficial to species and habitat conservation, as well as contributing towards sustainable livelihoods and development. However, unsustainable and illegal trade is a major factor driving biodiversity loss and poses a serious threat to the long-term survival of species including Big-leaf Mahogany Swietenia macrophylla, Vicuña Vicugna vicugna, and sturgeon species. Illegal wildlife trade also affects the economies of developing countries: illegal logging costs developing country governments an estimated EUR10–15 billion every year in lost revenue. There is a huge and escalating demand in Member States for exotic pets, tropical timber, and other wildlife products. While the majority of this wildlife trade into and within the EU is conducted legally, continued demand for some rare and protected species means that illegal wildlife trade still occurs. From 2003 to 2004, enforcement authorities in the EU made over 7000 seizures involving over 3.5 million CITES-listed specimens; from 2000–2005, almost 12 t of caviar were seized. The effect on wild populations of rare and endangered species can be devastating: in the last four years seizures in the EU of the Critically Endangered Egyptian Tortoise Testudo kleinmanni represented around 13% of the total estimated population remaining in the wild. The demand for rare specimens and products means that black market values can be very high: certain species of tortoise can fetch EUR30 000 per specimen. Low political awareness is also an exacerbating factor behind unsustainable and illegal trade, as are high prices for wildlife and low penalties. Low penalties may also influence trade routes: countries with low penalties become the gateway for illegal trade. It is little wonder that organized crime syndicates are engaged in wildlife crime. TheEUhas accomplished many significant achievements in wildlife law enforcement. These could be enhanced considerably through greater national, regional and interregional co-ordination. A co-ordinated EU wildlife trade enforcement action plan with identified priorities, and building on growing political will would considerably strengthen the EU’s response to illegal trade. The sustainability of the trade in wildlife is another key issue to address. Four case studies in this report (tropical timber, reptiles, caviar, and Vicuña products) highlight the role the EU plays in the global wildlife trade, and how the EU could co-ordinate its external assistance actions to maximise effectiveness. The European Commission and EUMember States have made a number of laudable interventions to ensure that trade is sustainable. However, EU external interventions are ad hoc and there are no means of ensuring co-ordination or complementarity of actions from the Member States or the European Commission. A strategic approach, based on priorities identified in collaboration with range States, would enable synergies to be developed, coordination between programmes and monitoring of the effectiveness of assistance interventions. The EU has made a number of policy commitments relevant to wildlife trade. The EU’s Sustainable Development Strategy provides the broad framework for the responsible management of natural resources and requires environmental sustainability to be part of all EU external policies. The Thematic Programme for Environment and Sustainable Management of Natural Resources (ENRTP), under the Thematic Strategy, identifies broad objectives which align strongly with the objectives of the CITES Strategic Vision and with priorities identified in this report for EU external assistance. Furthermore, the EU Biodiversity Action Plan specifically calls for a co-ordinated EU response to unsustainable trade and constructive follow up to EU import suspensions. These political commitments set a positive course for the EU in taking responsibility to ensure wildlife trade is sustainable. But they are vague in terms of priorities, concrete targets and timelines required to achieve these goals, and lack specific guidance on meeting these obligations. Wildlife trade is implicitly recognized in all EU commitments to biodiversity conservation and its interface with sustainable development. Explicit acknowledgement of the steps required to achieve legal and sustainable wildlife trade came in December 2006 when the EU Council of Ministers adopted Council Conclusions calling upon the European Commission and the Member States: • To build capacity to strengthen implementation of CITES and policies for the conservation and sustain able use of wildlife in developing countries, ensuring complementarity of assistance provided, and • To reinforce efforts to combat illegal trade through a strengthened and co-ordinated response and actions for the enforcement of CITES.

Details: Brussels, Belgium: Traffic Europe, 2007. 56p.

Source: Internet Resource: Traffic Europe Report: Accessed February 13, 2012 at: www.traffic.org/general-reports/traffic_pub_trade15.pdf

Year: 2007

Country: Europe

URL:

Shelf Number: 124113

Keywords:
Illegal Logging
Illegal Trade
Offenses Against the Environment
Wild Animal Trade
Wildlife Crime (Europe)

Author: Elias, Patricia

Title: Logging and the Law How the U.S. Lacey Act Helps Reduce Illegal Logging in the Tropics

Summary: Illegal logging and the associated trade of illegal wood products is a clandestine industry that threatens forests and economies. It can degrade forest ecosystems and increase vulnerability to complete deforestation. Illegal logging generates trade distortions by depressing world timber prices and reducing the competitive advantage of legal loggers and producers. Furthermore, these practices threaten the reputations of legitimate forestry producers and discourage sustainable management practices. In 2008, Congress passed amendments to the Lacey Act to extend the law’s jurisdiction to illegal plants and plant products, including wood. By closing the U.S. market to illegal wood products, the Lacey Act plays an important role in strengthening economic opportunities for legal and legitimate wood producers—both in the United States and abroad. This law helps lay the groundwork for additional reforms that reduce illegal logging, promote sustainable forestry, improve forest management decisions in local communities, and create long-term development opportunities. The Lacey Act amendments marked the world’s first-ever law prohibiting trade of illegally logged wood products. Supporting the implementation and enforcement of the Lacey Act is critical to promoting an environment of forest conservation, legal logging, and sustainable management worldwide.

Details: Cambridge, MA: Union of Concerned Scientists, 2012. 28p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 15, 2012 at: http://www.ucsusa.org/assets/documents/global_warming/illegal-logging-and-lacey-act.pdf

Year: 2012

Country: International

URL: http://www.ucsusa.org/assets/documents/global_warming/illegal-logging-and-lacey-act.pdf

Shelf Number: 125267

Keywords:
Crimes Against the Environment
Illegal Logging
Illegal Trade

Author: White, George

Title: Illegal Logging: Cut It Out! The Uk's Role in the Trade in Illegal Timber and Wood Products

Summary: Illegal logging exists because enormous profits can be made. These profits are most easily realised in countries with endemic corruption, lax law enforcement and poor social conditions, where there is little incentive to change forestry practice. Many of the countries supplying timber and wood products to the UK have high levels of foreign debt, poor governance systems, high levels of poverty and unsustainable forest management, and are experiencing loss of some of the world’s most biodiverse forests at an alarming rate. These factors – which by no means comprise an exhaustive list – contribute to the illegal and unsustainable trade in timber and wood products. Arguably the problems associated with illegal activities are most acute in developing countries, those countries with emerging economies and in the transitional economies of Russia and eastern Europe. These are areas of the world where weak political institutions and weak regulatory enforcement in the forested regions are often the norm, and where corruption is common. This report attempts to estimate the volume of illegal wood entering the UK and to identify which sectors of the UK market utilise this wood and fibre. It identifies various processes involving the UK government as a purchaser or specifier, as well as national and international governmental processes and market-based mechanisms that are in place to counter illegal logging. It identifies their effectiveness and weaknesses and makes a series of recommendations.

Details: Godalming, Surrey, UK: WWF-UK, 2007. 103p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 15, 2012 at: http://assets.wwf.org.uk/downloads/logging_full_report01.pdf

Year: 2007

Country: United Kingdom

URL: http://assets.wwf.org.uk/downloads/logging_full_report01.pdf

Shelf Number: 125278

Keywords:
Illegal Imports
Illegal Logging
Illegal Trade
Offenses Against the Environment

Author: Fischer, Carolyn

Title: The Complex Interaction of Markets For Endangered Species Products

Summary: Economic models of trade in endangered species products often do not incorporate four focal arguments in the policy debate over trade bans: 1) law-abiding consumers may operate in another market, separate from illegal consumers, that trade would bring online; 2) legal trade reduces stigma, which affects demand of law-abiding consumers; 3) laundering may bring illegal goods to legal markets when trade is allowed; 4) legal sales may affect illegal supply costs. This paper analyzes systematically which aspects of these complicated markets, separately or in combination, are important for determining whether limited legalized trade in otherwise illegal goods can be helpful for achieving policy goals like reducing poaching.

Details: Washington, DC: Resources for the Future, 2001. 42p.

Source: Internet Resource: Discussion Paper 02-21: Accessed July 19, 2012 at: http://www.rff.org/rff/Documents/RFF-DP-02-21.pdf

Year: 2001

Country: International

URL: http://www.rff.org/rff/Documents/RFF-DP-02-21.pdf

Shelf Number: 125691

Keywords:
Economics
Endangered Species
Illegal Trade
Poaching
Wildlife Crime

Author: Amnesty International

Title: Dangerous and Deadly Arms Trade

Summary: Hundreds of thousands of people are killed, injured, raped, repressed and forced to flee their homes every year as a result of the international arms trade. Families are torn apart. Livelihoods and lives are destroyed. Armed conflicts destroy social and economic infrastructure, breed corruption and divert public finances, denying the poor access to health care, water, food, shelter and education, increasing poverty and causing yet more deaths. For decades there has been a global treaty on the import, export and transfer of dinosaur bones yet there is no global treaty to strictly control the deadly trade in conventional arms. Revolvers, rifles, machine guns, bullets, hand grenades, missiles, rockets, armoured vehicles and other weapons and arms can be traded between governments, arms dealers and armed groups with few restrictions. Unscrupulous governments allow almost unlimited amounts of arms to be supplied to those flagrantly violating human rights and destroying lives. Regulation at the country level has failed to adapt to an increasingly globalized trade – components are sourced from across the world, and production and assembly take place in different countries. It’s time for all governments to commit to securing an international Arms Trade Treaty. amnesty.org/control-arms Under international law, states can only sell, acquire and possess arms for legitimate security, law-enforcement and self-defence needs. An Arms Trade Treaty must require that governments refuse arms transfers when those arms are likely to facilitate human rights violations or be diverted in breach of a UN arms embargo. Those violating such embargoes should be held accountable. An Arms Trade Treaty must also prohibit governments from transferring weapons, munitions or related equipment when they are likely to be used to commit or facilitate war crimes or crimes against humanity, including acts of genocide.

Details: London: Amnesty International, 2012. 36p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed july 30, 2012 at: http://amnesty.org/en/library/asset/ACT30/032/2012/en/2590b8de-5e88-4f78-b337-677eb642962d/act300322012en.pdf

Year: 2012

Country: International

URL: http://amnesty.org/en/library/asset/ACT30/032/2012/en/2590b8de-5e88-4f78-b337-677eb642962d/act300322012en.pdf

Shelf Number: 125807

Keywords:
Arms Trade
Gun Violence
Illegal Trade
Weapons and Violence

Author: Kooten, G. Cornelis van

Title: Elephant Economics in the Rough: Modelling Ivory Trade

Summary: Trade in ivory is banned under CITES in an effort to protect the African elephant. The trade ban is supported by some range states, most notably Kenya, because they see the ban as an effective means for protecting a ‘flagship’ species, one that attracts tourists and foreign aid. It is opposed by some states, mainly in southern Africa, because their elephant populations are exceeding the capacity of local ecosystems with culling and other sources have resulted in the accumulation of large stocks of ivory. They argue that ivory trade will benefit elephant populations. The question of whether an ivory trade ban will protect elephant populations is addressed in this paper using a dynamic partial-equilibrium model that consists of four ivory exporting regions and a single demand region. Results indicate that a trade ban can be successful in maintaining elephant populations if the ban leads to a stigma effect that reduces demand and increases the marginal costs of marketing ivory. Surprisingly, elephant populations are projected to crash if range states can operate an effective quota scheme that even excludes poaching. However, free trade in ivory can be made to protect the elephant if western countries make effective side payments to range states based on in situ numbers of elephants.

Details: Department of Economics Victoria, BC, Canada: University of Victoria, Canada, 2005. 31p.

Source: Internet Resource: Draft: Accessed August 7, 2012 at: http://web.uvic.ca/econ/research/seminars/Kooten.pdf

Year: 2005

Country: United States

URL: http://web.uvic.ca/econ/research/seminars/Kooten.pdf

Shelf Number: 125900

Keywords:
Animal Poaching
Economics of Crime
Elephants
Illegal Ivory
Illegal Trade
Wildlife Crime

Author: Nowell, Kristin

Title: Wildlife Crime Scorecard: Assessing Compliance with and Enforcement of CITES Commitments for Tigers, Rhinos and Elephants

Summary: International commercial trade of elephants, rhinos and tigers – and their parts and products — is almost universally prohibited by CITES, the international endangered species trade convention, however the enforcement of this restriction remains weak. Illegal trade in ivory, rhino horn and tiger parts is of major conservation concern. While CITES mainly prohibits or regulates international trade, it has continued to expand its role to prevent illegal trade at the national level through the adoption of various “Decisions” and “Resolutions”. This is critical to ensure illegal trade at national levels does not lead to international trade dynamics that undermine the conservation of elephants, rhinos and tigers, in addition to the effectiveness of the Convention itself. The approach to each species group differs, but all include national measures to control not only international, but also internal trade in the species’ parts, derivatives and products: • For tigers, it is recommended that internal trade be “prohibited” (Res Conf. 12.5 Rev. CoP15 ); • For rhinos, it is recommended that such trade be “restricted” (Res Conf. 9.14 Rev. CoP15); • For elephants, “unregulated domestic sale of ivory [is to] to be prohibited” under the Action Plan for the Control of Trade in Elephant Ivory Decision 13.26 Rev. CoP15 Annex 2). Other common themes include strengthening law enforcement; coordination with other countries; improved data collection; enacting deterrent legal penalties for illegal trade; and raising public awareness, especially among user groups. Tigers, rhinos and elephants were the subject of renewed and substantial concern at the 15th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to CITES (CoP15) in 2010 and the 61st meeting of the CITES Standing Committee (SC61) in 2011, specifically in regard to the scale of illegal trade. This report, produced to coincide with the 62nd meeting of the CITES Standing Committee (in July 2012), selects 23 range, transit and consumer countries from Asia and Africa facing the highest levels of illegal trade in elephant ivory, rhino horn and tiger parts (Annex 1), and evaluates their progress since CoP15 towards compliance with and enforcement of CITES commitments for these three species groups. Countries are scored green, yellow and red to signal recent implementation effort, and indicate whether governments are moving in the right direction to curb illegal trade in these species groups, or to indicate whether they have made little progress. Recent actions underpinning the country scores are discussed, and recommendations are made for all countries to improve compliance and enforcement, but with focus on key countries identified in this assessment as urgently needing to show progress. It is important to note that illegal internal trade in these three species groups persists in virtually all of the selected countries, however this report seeks to differentiate countries where it is actively being countered from those where current efforts are entirely inadequate. It should also be noted that a green score of all three species groups does not mean that the country in question is free of wildlife crime. In many cases there are widespread problems concerning illegal trade in other species, such as reptiles and primates. Moreover, some of these countries are performing poorly in terms of other conservation governance indicators and threats to the three species groups, such as the integrity of protected areas.

Details: Gland, SWIT: World Wildlife Fund, 2012. 36p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed August 7, 2012 at: http://www.wwf.se/source.php/1486859/WWF%20Wildlife%20Crime%20Scorecard%20Report[1].pdf

Year: 2012

Country: International

URL: http://www.wwf.se/source.php/1486859/WWF%20Wildlife%20Crime%20Scorecard%20Report[1].pdf

Shelf Number: 125903

Keywords:
Animal Poaching
CITES
Endangered Species
Illegal Trade
Ivory
Tigers, Elephants, Rhinos
Wildlife Crime
Wildlife Law Enforcement
Wildlife Trade

Author: International Fund for Animal Welfare

Title: Stopping Illegal Wildlife Trade

Summary: Experts estimate that the demand for wildlife products such as tiger bone and elephant ivory is pushing some species to the brink of extinction. Elephants, tigers, and other animals with declining populations need legal protection from the trade in wildlife and wildlife products - with international collaboration in law enforcement. They need protection from poaching. They need consumers to reject wildlife products. Wild animals deserve a place in our future. IFAW believes that wild animals belong in the wild, not in commercial trade. This document offers statistics on such trade, and suggests countermeasures as well as other information about combating the illegal wildlife trade.

Details: Yarmouth Port, MA: International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), 2011. 9p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed August 22, 2012 at http://www.ifaw.org/sites/default/files/wildlife_trade_us_0.pdf

Year: 2011

Country: International

URL: http://www.ifaw.org/sites/default/files/wildlife_trade_us_0.pdf

Shelf Number: 126099

Keywords:
Crimes Against the Environment
Illegal Trade
Ivory Trade
Wildlife Smuggling
Wildlife Trade

Author: International Fund for Animal Welfare

Title: Killing with Keystrokes 2.0: IFAW's investigation into the European online ivory trade

Summary: Killing with Keystrokes 2.0: IFAW's investigation into the European online ivory trade surveyed websites in the UK, France, Germany, Portugal, Spain and Germany, and found a thriving in trade in ivory items the legality of most of which is questionable. In just two weeks, our survey found more than 660 items with a total advertising value of almost €650,000.00 across a variety of European websites. A shocking 98 per cent of adverts failed to comply with website policies or provide evidence of legality.

Details: Yarmouth Port, MA: International Fund for Animal Welfare, 2011. 11p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed August 22, 2012 at http://www.ifaw.org/sites/default/files/FINAL%20Killing%20with%20Keystrokes%202.0%20report%202011.pdf

Year: 2011

Country: International

URL: http://www.ifaw.org/sites/default/files/FINAL%20Killing%20with%20Keystrokes%202.0%20report%202011.pdf

Shelf Number: 126100

Keywords:
Endangered Species
Illegal Trade
Illegal Wildlife Trade
Internet Crime
Ivory Trade
Wildlife Trade, Elephants

Author: United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime

Title: Wildlife and Forest Crime Analytic Toolkit

Summary: Wildlife and forest offences are a complex phenomenon with many layers and dimensions. Wildlife and forest offences often result from the interplay of a multitude of factors—cultural, economic, social and environmental—and can involve a wide variety of actors. Thus, to achieve an effective response, wildlife and forest offences need to be addressed via a coordinated and multisectoral approach. This complexity makes it challenging for governments and international organizations to identify the strengths and weaknesses of and gaps in existing legislative, administrative, enforcement, judicial and preventive systems. Additionally, the fundamental difference between wildlife and forest offences and other forms of crimes should be acknowledged. Most property crimes, such as robbery, theft, arson and vandalism, are criminalized because they inflict harm on people or man-made property by creating uncertainty, diminishing confidence, and harming commerce and economic growth. All of these reasons apply for criminalizing the same acts against natural resources. However, there is an additional dimension to the fight against wildlife and forest crime; legislation to protect wildlife and forests also aims to ensure the sustainability of natural resource systems. This sets a different dynamic for wildlife and forest law enforcement, which should lead to the analysis of uses and users of wildlife resources taking into consideration the sustainability and promotion of compliance with good resource management policies. This Wildlife and Forest Crime Analytic Toolkit is intended to serve as an initial entry point for national governments, international actors, practitioners and scholars to better understand the complexity of the issue, and to serve as a framework around which a prevention and response strategy can be developed. The Toolkit provides an inventory of measures that can assist in the analysis of the nature and extent of wildlife and forest offences and in deterring and combating these offences. It is also intended to contribute to an understanding of the various factors that drive wildlife and forest offences to integrate the information and experience gained from such analysis into national, regional and international strategies. The Toolkit has been developed based on (a) lessons learned from national and international efforts to curtail illegal trade in wildlife, plants, animal derivatives and plant material, (b) scholarly analyses and the examination of cases, and (c) consultations with key stakeholders and relevant experts. The causes, components and consequences of wildlife and forest offences vary among countries, regions and societies around the world. There is no “one size fits all” solution to this issue. In formulating effective countermeasures, it is important that local patterns of wildlife and forest offences and the concerns of local communities be recognized and integrated into policy and legislation. The Wildlife and Forest Crime Analytic Toolkit is intended to provide a range of options that, in various combinations, will enable each country to assemble an integrated strategy that will be as effective as possible in meeting the country’s own unique needs. The measures set out in this Toolkit have been grouped into five key parts: legislation, enforcement, judiciary and prosecution, drivers and prevention, and data and analysis. The tools are organized thematically to ensure ease of use and to assist users in understanding the key issues confronting the system being analysed. The Toolkit in its current form will be pilot-tested in partnership with three selected national governments and will be revised to ensure that it is a practical, applicable tool. Additional material will be added as future needs are identified.

Details: Vienna, UNODC, 2012. 212p.

Source: Internet Resource: accessed September 17, 2012 at: http://www.unodc.org/documents/Wildlife/Toolkit.pdf

Year: 2012

Country: International

URL: http://www.unodc.org/documents/Wildlife/Toolkit.pdf

Shelf Number: 126364

Keywords:
Illegal Logging
Illegal Trade
Natural Resources
Offenses Against the Environment
Wildlife Crimes

Author: U.S. House Committee on Homeland Security, Republican Staff

Title: Tobacco and Terror: How Cigarette Smuggling is Funding our Enemies Abroad

Summary: It has been well-reported that terrorist and criminal organizations are conducting illicit business operations within the United States, sending the profits overseas to finance domestic and international terrorist and criminal organizations. Recent law enforcement investigations have revealed that these profits, estimated to be in the millions of dollars annually in the United States along, are generated in part by illicit cigarette trafficking. Historically, the low-risk, high profitability of the illicit cigarette trade served as a gateway for traditional criminal traffickers to move into lucrative and dangerous criminal enterprises such as money laundering, arms dealing, and drug trafficking. Recent law enforcement investigations, however, have directly linked those involved in illicit tobacco trade to infamous terrorist organizations such as Hezbollah, Hamas, and al Qaeda. These startling discoveries led U.S. House Committee on Homeland Security Ranking Member Peter T. King (R-NY) to launch an investigation of the issue. The following staff report - which will focus on the estimated millions of dollars in illicit tobacco profits being funneled to terrorist groups overseas as well as New York State's refusal to enforce tobacco laws - is the result of numerous interviews with law enforcement official at the local, State, and Federal level, as well as open-source research.

Details: Washington, DC: U.S. House Committee on Homeland Security, 2007. 15p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 24, 2012 at https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/412462-tobacco-and-terror-how-cigarette-smuggling-is.html

Year: 2007

Country: United States

URL: https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/412462-tobacco-and-terror-how-cigarette-smuggling-is.html

Shelf Number: 126414

Keywords:
Cigarette Smuggling
Illegal Trade
Illicit Tobacco
Terrorist Financing
Tobacco Smuggling

Author: Arimatsu, Louise

Title: Conflict Minerals: The Search for a Normative Framework

Summary: The belief that the armed conflicts in the mineral-rich eastern provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo have been perpetuated by the income from the illicit trade in these minerals has brought together a broad coalition of interests linked by a common objective: to regulate ‘conflict minerals’. This has generated a wave of initiatives, strategies and regulations involving the trade in minerals; many of these seek to prevent armed conflict while others are aimed more broadly at contributing to the maintenance of peace and security through greater transparency and good governance measures. These ambitious programmes of action, whether at international, regional or domestic levels, have raised difficult questions including how to distinguish between legal and illegal trade within an unregulated economy compounded by the existence of armed conflict. A fully regulated mining sector has the potential to offer huge rewards for local communities and the state, but whether the regulation of conflict minerals can achieve its avowed aim as a conflict-prevention strategy remains to be seen. There is an overriding need for governments to ensure that any measures adopted, whether legally binding or not, take into account any potential unintended consequences that are likely to have an adverse impact on the very communities that the measures are intended to protect.

Details: London: Chatham House, 2012. 38p.

Source: Internet Resource: International Law Programme Paper IL PP 2012/01: Accessed September 25, 2012 at: http://www.chathamhouse.org/sites/default/files/public/Research/International%20Law/0912pparimatsu_mistry.pdf

Year: 2012

Country: Africa

URL: http://www.chathamhouse.org/sites/default/files/public/Research/International%20Law/0912pparimatsu_mistry.pdf

Shelf Number: 126450

Keywords:
Conflict Minerals (Africa)
Illegal Trade
Minerals
Natural Resources

Author: Atta-Asamoah, Andrews

Title: Addressing the 'Conflict Minerals' Crisis in the Great Lakes Region

Summary: The year 2011 heralded the convergence of various initiatives seeking to curtail the financing of conflict in the Great Lakes region through the illegal exploitation of minerals. The combined effect of seeking to comply with the various processes has had significant implications at the national, regional and international levels by altering the dynamics of mineral exploitation in the region in both positive and negative ways. The positive impact has been in the area of the immense contribution of the initiatives to increased awareness of the role of illegally exploited minerals in financing conflict in the region and the need for various stakeholders to exercise responsibility in the sourcing and trading of minerals so as not to inadvertently fuel insecurity. On the flip side, however, this increased awareness has led to the labelling of minerals from the region, particularly gold, tin, tantalum and tungsten, as potential conflict minerals. While this has been important in boosting efforts at minimising conflict financing through the exploitation of minerals, the ‘conflict mineral’ label associated with the region has led to interrupted demand for minerals from the Great Lakes, the closure of some businesses dealing with the purchase and export of minerals, the loss of employment and a reduction in income within the local economy, and ultimately threatens to negatively reinforce the crisis created by the various conflicts in the region if nothing is done to stem the trend of unintended consequences. Against this background, this policy brief aims at providing a framework for responding to the unintended consequences of existing initiatives in the Great Lakes region. It details the areas of immediate impact of these initiatives, their overall impact on the trends of insecurity in the region and ways of addressing the issues in the short to medium term.

Details: Pretoria: Institute for Security Studies, 2012. 4p.

Source: ISS Policy Brief No. 35: Internet Resource: Accessed October 1, 2012 at http://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/ISS_AddressingtheConflictMineralsCrisisintheGreatLakesRegion.pdf

Year: 2012

Country: Africa

URL: http://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/ISS_AddressingtheConflictMineralsCrisisintheGreatLakesRegion.pdf

Shelf Number: 126542

Keywords:
Conflict Minerals (Africa)
Illegal Trade
Minerals
Natural Resources

Author: Rubin, Jeffrey

Title: Conflict Minerals: What Issuers Should Know

Summary: The eastern Congo has been embroiled in violent conflict for more than fifteen years. It has been estimated that the conflict has cost, directly and indirectly, over 5,400,000 lives, more than any other conflict since World War II, and has involved a profound humanitarian crisis with rape as a weapon of war. For a number of years various nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), including notably The Enough Project based in Washington, have made efforts to stem the flow of funds to rebel groups, militias, and criminal networks within the Congolese army arising from the sale of the ores originating in the eastern Congo, the so-called “conflict minerals.” The efforts by the NGOs have been intended to influence companies at the top of the minerals supply chain to use their buying power to exert pressure downward through the entire supply chain and thereby to influence their suppliers to source only conflict-free minerals. The NGOs’ efforts to highlight the conflict minerals issues have been reflected in proposed Congressional legislation since 2008. In 2010, a bill introduced by Senator Durbin and Representative McDermott became part of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, as Section 1502 of the Act. This memorandum presents a summary of certain provisions of the Dodd-Frank Act and the proposed rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) relating to conflict minerals. This summary has been prepared in order to assist companies to better understand the scope of the rules the SEC is required to implement. Because the SEC has not, at the date of this memorandum, adopted its final rules, the guidance set forth herein is subject to the qualification that the SEC’s final rules may differ from its proposed rules. We encourage readers to discuss the matters reviewed in this summary with attorneys of Hogan Lovells, both to review the statutory and proposed rulemaking provisions in greater detail and to consider the implications of these provisions to the specific business operations in which the reader is engaged. At the end of this memorandum is a suggested Company Action Plan that may be helpful in assisting companies preparing to comply with the conflict minerals provisions.

Details: New York: Hogan Lovells, 2012. 28p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 7, 2012 at http://www.hoganlovells.com/files/Publication/c9f789ae-791b-42b5-8af8-5ee80173b9bf/Presentation/PublicationAttachment/7cc26192-815a-4df8-bc0b-3fdeba11c55f/Rubin%20Conflict%20Minerals%20Memorandum%20%282%29.pdf

Year: 2012

Country: United States

URL: http://www.hoganlovells.com/files/Publication/c9f789ae-791b-42b5-8af8-5ee80173b9bf/Presentation/PublicationAttachment/7cc26192-815a-4df8-bc0b-3fdeba11c55f/Rubin%20Conflict%20Minerals%20Memorandum%20%282%29.pdf

Shelf Number: 126587

Keywords:
Conflict Minerals
Illegal Trade
Minerals
Natural Resources

Author: Ayling, Julie

Title: What Sustains Wildlife Crime? Rhino Horn Trading and the Resilience of Criminal Networks

Summary: The problem of illegal trading in wildlife is a long-standing one. Humans have always regarded other sentient and non-sentient species as resources and tradeable commodities, frequently resulting in negative effects for biodiversity. However, the illegal trade in wildlife is increasingly meeting with resistance from states and the international community in the form of law enforcement and regulatory initiatives. So why does it persist? What makes the criminal networks involved in it resilient? In this paper I consider the networks involved in the illegal trade in rhinoceros horn that is currently posing an existential threat to most rhino species. The paper considers possible sources of these networks' resilience, both internal and external, and the implications for how the trade could be tackled.

Details: Canberra, Australia: Australian National University, 2012. 22P.

Source: Transnational Environmental Crime Project, Working Paper 2/2012: Internet Resource: Accessed November 3, 2012 at http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2152776

Year: 2012

Country: International

URL: http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2152776

Shelf Number: 126857

Keywords:
Animal Poaching
Corruption
Criminal Networks
Illegal Trade
Ivory
Organized Crime
Rhinos
Transnational Crime
Wildlife Crime
Wildlife Trade

Author: Lam, Timothy

Title: Market Forces: An Examination of Marine Turtle Trade in China and Japan

Summary: Marine turtle shell remains a much sought-after commodity, as well as turtle meat and whole specimens, and as a result, Hawksbill Turtle and other marine turtle populations are under heavy exploitation pressure. Evidence from current seizure records and market surveys highlight a consistent illegal trade route to mainland China from the Coral Triangle region of South-east Asia (mainly the Philippines, Malaysia, and Indonesia). This report analyses 128 seizures involving the East Asian countries between 2000 and 2008, with a trade volume of over 9180 marine turtle products including whole specimens (2062 turtles), crafted products (n = 6161 pieces) and raw shell (789 scutes and 919 kg). The demand for marine turtles and their shell products in Hainan Province and the rest of mainland China is of an increasing magnitude. Mainland China is undoubtedly a major market for illegal trade with 150 whole specimens and 7217 processed shell products observed for sale in 117 shops with a value of nearly half a million USD. Traditional Chinese Medicine markets were found to be selling 159 kg of shell. The open sale of marine turtle products undoubtedly indicates the demand for marine turtles in China, and seizure records are evidence of the heavy exploitation that is occurring to meet this demand. In the period of this study, 2017 individual turtles were confiscated in seizures implicating mainland China. This equates to 98% of the whole specimen trade in the region. Taiwan appears to be a significant market for processed shell items with a single seizure confiscating 6120 pieces. Seizures in Hong Kong were mostly confiscated shell scutes hidden in cargo consignments, with the largest seizure involving 556 kg. Available information shows that the number of seizures in the region has been increasing, with 2007 and 2008 recording the highest number of apprehensions. Authorities in China have seized 539 whole specimens, but the volume of whole marine turtles confiscated in international seizures which implicated Chinese nationals was 1478 turtles. Most local fishermen interviewed considered marine turtles to be a valuable by-catch species. However, there are indications that some fishing vessels from China are directly targeting marine turtles. The revenues generated by this commerce are sufficient to encourage Chinese nationals to venture into foreign territorial waters overriding concerns of enforcement and penalties. The largest seizure reported during the study period involved 387 dead turtles aboard a Chinese fishing vessel in the Derawan Archipelago in East Kalimantan (Indonesia). It is presumed that poachers are targeting source locations widely distributed across the Sulu and Celebes Sea (Sulu-Sulawesi Marine Ecoregion). With current population declines, it appears that turtle poachers are now travelling to more distant fishing areas to fill their catch, and potentially remaining in foreign waters surrounding remote archipelagos to fill their cargo. In Japanese markets, the demand for highly decorative bekko pieces skilfully manufactured from Hawksbill marine turtle shell remains persistent. In 58 shops visited in Tokyo, Nagasaki and Okinawa, we found 11 080 bekko items for sale. From reports of seizures entering the country, it was apparent that import shipments of marine turtle into Japan were only the raw scutes, which had been removed from the turtle carapace. All consignments of marine turtle shell were exported to Japan by mail or air. The largest seizures involved 89 kg and 400 pieces of shell product imported from Indonesia. However, seized scute shipments were generally small and potentially easily concealed, hence, exporters smuggled packages by mail and air into Japan. After its removal from the turtle, the raw scute, which is the principal export product in this trade, can be stored dry without special treatment for years. It is therefore probable that the true extent of the marine turtle trade in Japan is more easily concealed because the trade was only in scutes and the number of marine turtles harvested is difficult to estimate. This trade in scutes contrasts greatly with that of the whole specimens recorded in China, which allows a direct count of the number of animals involved in the marine turtle trade. Poaching pressure on marine turtle populations can be attributed to commercial demand at a regional (Asia) and global scale, inadequate enforcement of laws, but also the socio-economic needs of both the source and consumer countries. There are significant contrasts between the markets of China and Japan, based on consumer demand, commodity value, trade volume and even product-type. However, the source of marine turtles was similar in China and Japan with nationals from both countries involved in seizures of marine turtles sourced from countries in South-east Asia. Poaching by foreign vessels in the territorial waters of neighbouring countries is a serious conservation problem. Equally, profit-seeking subsistence fishermen are often exploited by their own countrymen. Undoubtedly, the scale of trade across China and the motivation of Chinese nationals to harvest in foreign waters clearly implicate China as a major player in this global trade. This study aimed to compile information comprehensively from seizure records and market surveys in China and Japan. This report draws attention to the Coral Triangle as being the target region for poaching marine turtles, and the scale of trade places significant pressure on marine turtle populations in the Sulu-Sulawesi Marine Ecoregion.

Details: Hong Kong: Traffic East Asia, 2011. 58p.

Source: Internet Resource: Traffic East Asia Report: Accessed November 9, 2012 at: http://awsassets.panda.org/downloads/traffic_marketforces_examination_marineturtle_trade_china_japan.pdf

Year: 2011

Country: Asia

URL: http://awsassets.panda.org/downloads/traffic_marketforces_examination_marineturtle_trade_china_japan.pdf

Shelf Number: 126893

Keywords:
Animal Poaching
Illegal Trade
Marine Turtles
Wildlife Crimes (Asia)

Author: Kasterine, A.

Title: The Trade in South-East Asian Python Skins

Summary: South-East Asian pythons are heavily exploited for skins, food and traditional Chinese medicines, with nearly half a million python skins alone exported annually. The trade provides cash income for a large, but unknown, number of rural people across the region that collect, breed and process pythons. The high number of skins traded has raised concerns about the conservation impact of harvests upon wild python populations and the potential animal welfare issues associated with this trade. This report describes the trade flows for the five most heavily traded python species from South-East Asia (Python reticulatus, Python molurus bivittatus, P. curtus, P. brongersmai and P. breitensteini). It identifies the main points of value addition in the supply chain and considers aspects of illegality. In addition, it reviews the current understanding related to the sustainability and welfare issues regarding python harvesting for the skin trade and offers a series of recommendations to help guide relevant stakeholders, including CITES, governments, the private sector and NGOs, on improving the mechanisms by which trade operates.

Details: Geneva: International Trade Centre, 2012. 74p.

Source: Technical Paper: Internet Resource: Accessed December 16, 2012 at http://www.intracen.org/uploadedFiles/intracenorg/Content/Publications/The%20Trade%20in%20Southeast%20Asian%20Python%20Skins%20for%20web.pdf

Year: 2012

Country: Asia

URL: http://www.intracen.org/uploadedFiles/intracenorg/Content/Publications/The%20Trade%20in%20Southeast%20Asian%20Python%20Skins%20for%20web.pdf

Shelf Number: 127222

Keywords:
Animal Poaching
CITES
Endangered Species
Illegal Trade
Pythons
Wildlife Crime
Wildlife Law Enforcement
Wildlife Trade

Author: von Meibom, Stephanie

Title: Saiga Antelope Trade: Global Trends with a Focus on South-east Asia.

Summary: The Saiga Antelope Saiga tatarica inhabits the semi-arid deserts of Central Asia; it is found in Kazakhstan, Mongolia, the Russian Federation and in parts of Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. The species has been hunted for its horns, meat and hides for several centuries and there are records of historic exports of Saiga Antelope horns (henceforth referred to in this summary as Saiga horns) to China in the 18th century. By the early 20th century, hunting had reduced Saiga Antelopes to near-extinction but, following a ban on hunting, the populations recovered and commercial hunting of Saiga Antelopes resumed in the 1950s and continued until the late 1990s. However, the situation changed dramatically with the collapse of the Soviet Union in the early 1990s and resulted in a sharp increase in poaching of Saiga Antelopes throughout the species’s range. Over the last 10 years the population has shown a decline of over 90%, mainly owing to poaching for trade in Saiga horns and other products, such as meat. The horns, which are only borne by the males, are the main target of poachers and are traded to East and South-east Asia, where they are used in traditional Asian medicine. The selective hunting of males has resulted in a skewed sex ratio and reproductive collapse. The global population of the nominate subspecies, S. t. tatarica, is now estimated to be at around 56 300–61 300 animals, down from 1 250 000 in the mid-1970s. China is the largest importer of Saiga horns. However, South-east Asia is also known to have a large demand for Saiga horns for use in traditional medicines and to play an important role as a trading or transit region for Saiga horns. Since 2002, the Saiga Antelope has been listed as Critically Endangered in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species and it has been listed in Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) since 1995. It is also listed in Appendix II of the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS). The aim of this project, which was commissioned by the CITES Secretariat, was to compile up-to-date information on current trade in Saiga products and derivatives, focusing on some key areas. These key areas included analysis of global trade in Saiga parts and derivatives, undertaking market research in Malaysia and Singapore, compiling information on the population status, levels of poaching and trade in Kazakhstan, the Russian Federation and Uzbekistan, and providing information on the availability and management of stockpiles of Saiga parts in some important consumer States, such as China. More general information on the demand, availability and recent trade trends in Saiga horns in China has been recently compiled by the Wildlife Conservation Society on behalf of the CITES Secretariat. The information used in this report was compiled from literature references and interviews with Saiga Antelope experts and government officials, market surveys in Malaysia and Singapore, and an analysis of global trade figures for Saiga parts and derivatives, as recorded in the CITES trade database.

Details: Cambridge, UK: TRAFFIC Europe, 2010. 56p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 12, 2013 at: http://www.trafficj.org/publication/10-Saiga_Antelope_Trade.pdf

Year: 2010

Country: Asia

URL: http://www.trafficj.org/publication/10-Saiga_Antelope_Trade.pdf

Shelf Number: 127922

Keywords:
Animal Poaching
Antelope
Illegal Trade
Wildlife Crime (Asia)

Author: Environmental Investigation Agency

Title: Appetite for Destruction: China's Trade in Illegal Timber

Summary: In November 2011 China hosted the annual Asia-Pacific Forestry Week meeting conference at an impressive and vast centre near the Olympic Stadium in Beijing. During the week-long event participants from around Asia and beyond discussed a range of issues, encompassing China’s impressive reforestation programme to the links between deforestation and climate change. The meeting coincided with the tenth anniversary of the landmark Bali Declaration agreed at the East Asia ministerial meeting on Forest Law Enforcement and Governance in 2001. This event marked the first time governments from the region, including China, had come together to address the threat posed by widespread illegal logging. Yet meaningful discussions on illegal logging were strangely absent from the Beijing conference. This was probably out of deference to the hosts, as over the past decade China has emerged as the world’s leading trader in illegally logged timber. During the last decade, the major timber consumers of the United States, European Union and Australia have taken action to exclude illicit timber from their markets. Timber producing countries such as Indonesia have improved enforcement against illegal logging. Meanwhile, China has largely stood on the sidelines. The astounding economic growth of China attracts a host of superlatives; its position as the largest importer of stolen wood is one of the more undesirable ones. Since the late 1990s the country has taken strong measures to protect and grow its own forests. At the same time it has built a vast wood processing industry, reliant on imports for most of its raw materials supply. It is in effect exporting deforestation. Although much of the wood processing sector is export-oriented, the vast construction effort in China, coupled with increasing wealth, is creating a surge in domestic demand for timber products. A vivid example is the fashion for reproduction furniture made from rare rosewoods, which has created an upsurge in illegal logging from the Mekong region to Madagascar. The Environmental Investigation Agency has been conducting field investigations into flows of illicit timber since 2004, covering a host of producer countries such as Indonesia, Myanmar, Russia, Laos, Mozambique and Madagascar and, of course, China itself. The findings from these investigations, laid out in this report, show the impact of illegal logging to feed China’s market; destruction of vital forest ecosystems, loss of revenue for developing countries, increased corruption and conflict. This report also includes analysis of trade data showing flows of illicit timber into China worth billions of dollars a year, and highlights imports from countries known to have high rates of illegal logging and instances where national regulations such as log export bands are disregarded. The evidence makes a clear case for action by China. It needs to take measures to exclude illegally logged timber from its market. The fate of many of the world’s natural forests depends on this.

Details: London: EIA, 2012. 32p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 28, 2013 at: http://www.eia-international.org/wp-content/uploads/EIA-Appetite-for-Destruction-lo-res.pdf

Year: 2012

Country: China

URL: http://www.eia-international.org/wp-content/uploads/EIA-Appetite-for-Destruction-lo-res.pdf

Shelf Number: 128157

Keywords:
Deforestation
Forest Management
Illegal Logging (China)
Illegal Trade
Natural Resources

Author: Environmental Investigation Agency

Title: The Inside Story: Environmental criminals’ perceptions of crime, corruption and CITES

Summary: The Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) and partners conduct on the ground investigations engaging environmental crime offenders. Investigations document illegal trade, what facilitates it and the emerging trends, which is then presented to international decision-makers. Over the years, EIA’s direct engagement with active environmental offenders has yielded rich insights into their attitudes and perceptions: about what helps them do business and what deters them; the market trends and how these compare to previous years; how they perceive the criminal justice system; what they anticipate for their future business, and for the future of the species which they trade. In source, transit and destination countries, individuals operating at different stages of the illegal trade chain describe similar dynamics: corruption (bribes and payoffs), weakly enforced legislation, the ability to exploit parallel legal markets and loopholes, even how domestic policies stimulate demand for protected species. As valuable as they are, offenders’ perceptions are not currently being taken into account by all the stakeholders in environmental crime. This is compounding a situation where environmental crime is not being fully or effectively addressed. Knowing how and what environmental criminals are thinking should not be the sole domain of non-governmental organisations (NGOs), undercover journalists, individual law enforcement officers or the communities living in areas where crime happens. The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), with a membership of 178 Parties, seeks to regulate trade so it does not threaten species, but it does not exist in a vacuum. EIA’s investigations have found environmental criminals are not ignorant about CITES, or about domestic legislation. A species’ protected status or scarcity can mean that criminals ‘bank on extinction’, exploiting higher demand or higher financial ‘value’.

Details: London: EIA, 2013. 28p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 28, 2013 at: http://www.eia-international.org/wp-content/uploads/The-Inside-Story-lo-res.pdf

Year: 2013

Country: International

URL: http://www.eia-international.org/wp-content/uploads/The-Inside-Story-lo-res.pdf

Shelf Number: 128161

Keywords:
Endangered Species
Environmental Crimes
Illegal Trade
Natural Resources
Offenses Against the Environment

Author: Brack, Duncan

Title: Combating Illegal Logging: Interaction with WTO Rules

Summary: •Controlling international trade in illegal timber is an essential part of the effort to reduce illegal logging. Consumer countries are taking a range of measures including the EU's FLEGT licensing scheme and Timber Regulation, the Australian Illegal Logging Prohibition Act, the US Lacey Act, and public procurement policies in several countries. •Since these measures are designed to alter the existing patterns of international trade in timber and timber products, concerns are often raised about their compatibility with World Trade Organization rules. •The outcome of any potential dispute case would rest on the interpretation of various clauses of the GATT and other WTO agreements, but there is no experience to date of WTO dispute cases dealing with even vaguely similar issues. •It is important to be aware of the broad constraints placed by WTO rules in designing such measures for controlling trade in illegal timber, which seem likely to be increasingly used. The more the measure diverges from the core WTO principle of non-discrimination in trade, and the more trade-disruptive it is, the more vulnerable it could be to challenge. •Within these constraints, governments have plenty of flexibility to adopt measures designed to exclude illegal timber from international trade. None of the main measures being pursued at present should experience any conflict with WTO rules.

Details: London: Chatham House, 2013. 16p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 30, 2013 at: http://www.chathamhouse.org/publications/papers/view/191299

Year: 2013

Country: International

URL: http://www.chathamhouse.org/publications/papers/view/191299

Shelf Number: 128849

Keywords:
Illegal Logging
Illegal Trade
Natural Resource
Offenses Against the Environment

Author: Russo, Francesco Flaviano

Title: Cocaine: The Complementarity Between Legal and Illegal Trade

Summary: The smuggling cost of an imported illegal good decreases as the volume of legally imported goods increases. First because more imports are typically associated to an increased number of transporters, which is an increased supply of potential smugglers. Second because, as the number of shipments increases, the individual inspection probability decreases, lowering the risk born by the smugglers and thus their compensation. I test this theory using data on the market for cocaine, finding empirical support: in a panel of countries, an increased volume of imports is robustly associated to a decreased price of cocaine. Legal and illegal trade appear to be complementary.

Details: Naples, Italy: CSEF - Centre for Studies in Economics and Finance, Department of Economics, University of Naples, 2010. 40p.

Source: Internet Resource: Working Paper No. 253: Accessed May 30, 2013 at: http://www.csef.it/WP/wp253.pdf

Year: 2010

Country: International

URL: http://www.csef.it/WP/wp253.pdf

Shelf Number: 128853

Keywords:
Cocaine (Italy)
Cocaine Smuggling
Drug Trafficking
Illegal Trade

Author: Rejab, Ismail

Title: The Modus Operandi of Cigarette Smuggling in Malaysia

Summary: The Government of Malaysia acknowledged the dangers of cigarettes on health, through the Food Act 1983 which imposed certain policies on cigarette advertising and promotion. Giving free samples is prohibited under this law. These policies were intended to reduce smoking prevalence, but the morbidity studies conducted in 1997 showed that the prevalence had increased by 5% from 10 years earlier, when the first of such studies was conducted in 1987. There was no indication, however, of smoking among the children in the present study. The findings of the study could be flawed because our observations constantly show that cigarette smoking among younger Malaysians and young school children are on the rise. In addition to increased prevalence, there is a worrisome increase in cigarette smuggling, which makes the cigarettes available at slightly cheaper prices. There is a clear‐cut difference in the modus operandi of cigarette smuggling in Malaysia, between whites and kretek. The latter which are from Indonesia are smuggled by boats and landed on one of the Malaysian shores, stretching from Lumut on the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia to Kuantan on the east coast. In the East Malaysian states of Sabah and Sarawak, smuggling of Kretek has been observed at Miri and Bintulu in Sarawak and Lahad Datu, Sandakan and Tawau in Sabah. The same locations in Sabah and Sarawak are also used to land whites. The smuggling of whites takes on a more sophisticated method, seemingly through the legal channel. Whites from Europe and the Far East are brought in containers by vessels to the Singapore Port or directly to one of the ports in Malaysia, declared not as cigarettes but as non‐taxable goods. Alternatively, these cigarettes are declared as transshipment goods destined for a third country. As transshipment goods, they are not taxable and need not be examined by the Customs. On the way out to their destinations, these containers are instead smuggled into Malaysia. According to the cigarette industry, contraband and counterfeit cigarettes accounted for 21 per cent of the market share of cigarettes sold in Malaysia, costing the Government about RM1.2 billion (US$316 million) a year in unpaid duties . The amount confiscated by the Customs annually is far less, amounting to only about RM78 to RM80 million (US$20 to $21 million).

Details: Southeast Asia Tobacco Control Alliance, 2006. 45p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed July 22, 2013 at: http://www.seatca.org/dmdocuments/15_the_modus_operandi_of_cigarette_smuggling_in_malaysia.pdf

Year: 2006

Country: Malaysia

URL: http://www.seatca.org/dmdocuments/15_the_modus_operandi_of_cigarette_smuggling_in_malaysia.pdf

Shelf Number: 129484

Keywords:
Cigarette Smuggling (Malaysia)
Illegal Trade

Author: Reed, Howard

Title: Tobacco Taxation, Smuggling & Smoking in Ireland

Summary: In 2011, the Irish Heart Foundation commissoned Landman Economics to assess the future impact of tax increases on smoking rates and the illicit trade in tobacco. The study shows that a €1 tax increase on a packet of 20 cigarettes would bring in €68 million in extra receipts and a further €28 million in indirect public finance benefits. Such an increase would also result in some 30,000 people quitting smoking in Ireland. Given that roughly one in two smokers ultimately die from the habit, this single action would help up to 15,000 people countrywide to live longer. In addition to a price increase, the report recommends: A Government commitment to a price escalator whereby tobacco taxes rise by a certain amount each year in future budgets (for example, 5 percent per year above inflation). Expenditure on anti-smuggling operations such as enforcement and supply chain control should be increased by around €8 million per year. This would match per capita spending in the UK where smuggling has been reduced from 21% to 12% despite regular tax increases above inflation. A similar reduction here would bring in around €130 million of extra revenue to the Exchequer per year.

Details: Dublin: Irish Heart Foundation, 2011. 89p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed July 23, 2013 at: http://www.irishheart.ie/media/pub/advocacy/Tobaccotaxationsmugglingandsmoking.pdf

Year: 2011

Country: Ireland

URL: http://www.irishheart.ie/media/pub/advocacy/Tobaccotaxationsmugglingandsmoking.pdf

Shelf Number: 129488

Keywords:
Cigarette Smuggling (Ireland)
Illegal Trade
Illicit Tobacco
Illicit Trade
Tax Revenues

Author: Renner, Michael

Title: The Anatomy of Resource Wars

Summary: In several countries around the developing world, abundant natural resources help fuel conflict, either by attracting predatory groups seeking to control them or by financing wars that were initially caused by other factors. Prominent examples include Sierra Leone, Angola, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Sudan, and Afghanistan. Conflict has also erupted in several countries where the benefits of mining and logging projects—oil in Columbia and Nigeria, timber and natural gas in Indonesia, and copper in Bougainville/Papua New Guinea—accrue to a small elite while the social and environmental burdens are borne by local communities. Governments, rebels, and warloads have made billions of dollars by selling conflict commodities and have used the money to arm themselves and line their own pockets. But the cost of these conflicts has been extraordinary—more than 5 million people killed during the 1990's, as many as 20 million driven from their homes, and considerable environmental destruction. In this new publication, Senior Researcher, Michael Renner assesses the anatomy of resource wars, examines a number of specific cases, and discusses efforts to break the link between resources and conflict.

Details: Washington, DC: Worldwatch Institute, 2002. 91p.

Source: Internet Resource: Worldwatch Paper #162: Accessed July 24, 2013 at: http://www.worldwatch.org/node/828

Year: 2002

Country: International

URL: http://www.worldwatch.org/node/828

Shelf Number: 129503

Keywords:
Illegal Trade
Natural Resources (International)
Wildlife Conservation

Author: Wyler, Liana Sun

Title: International Illegal Trade in Wildlife: Threats and U.S. Policy

Summary: Global trade in illegal wildlife is a potentially vast illicit economy, estimated to be worth billions of dollars each year. Some of the most lucrative illicit wildlife commodities include elephant ivory, rhino horn, sturgeon caviar, and so-called “bushmeat.” Wildlife smuggling may pose a transnational security threat as well as an environmental one. Numerous sources indicate that some organized criminal syndicates, insurgent groups, and foreign military units may be involved in various aspects of international wildlife trafficking. Limited anecdotal evidence also indicates that some terrorist groups may be engaged in wildlife crimes, particularly poaching, for monetary gain. Some observers claim that the participation of such actors in wildlife trafficking can therefore threaten the stability of countries, foster corruption, and encourage violence to protect the trade. Reports of escalating exploitation of protected wildlife, coupled with the emerging prominence of highly organized and well-equipped illicit actors in wildlife trafficking, suggests that policy challenges persist. Commonly cited challenges include legal loopholes that allow poachers and traffickers to operate with impunity, gaps in foreign government capabilities to address smuggling problems, and persistent structural drivers such as lack of alternative livelihoods in source countries and consumer demand. To address the illicit trade in endangered wildlife, the international community has established, through the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), a global policy framework to regulate and sometimes ban exports of selected species. Domestic, bilateral, regional, and global efforts are intended to support international goals of sustainable conservation, effective resource management, and enforcement of relevant laws and regulations. Increased recognition of the potential consequences of wildlife trafficking has caused some observers and policymakers to question the efficacy of existing U.S. and international responses and consider new options for addressing the problem. In November 2012, for example, then- Secretary of State Hillary Clinton announced the beginning of a revitalized effort to combat international wildlife trafficking. In July 2013, President Barack Obama issued Executive Order 13648 on Combating Wildlife Trafficking. The Executive Order identified poaching of protected species and the illegal trade in wildlife and their derivative parts and products as an escalating international crisis that is in the national interest of the United States to combat. The U.S. Congress has played a role in responding to these ongoing challenges and evaluating U.S. policy to combat international wildlife trafficking. Over time, Congress has enacted a wide range of laws to authorize conservation programs, appropriate domestic and international funding for wildlife protection and natural resource capacity building, and target and dismantle wildlife trafficking operations. In recent years, Congress has also held hearings and events that have addressed the growing problem of wildlife crimes and raised key questions for next steps. Interest in wildlife crime may continue in the 113th Congress. Congressional activity may include evaluating the seriousness of the threat as a national security issue, as well as raising questions regarding the effectiveness of existing policies, ranging from biodiversity programs to anti-crime activities.

Details: Washington, DC: Congressional Research Service, 2013. 26p.

Source: Internet Resource: RL34395: Accessed August 6, 2013 at: http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/RL34395.pdf

Year: 2013

Country: International

URL: http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/RL34395.pdf

Shelf Number: 129557

Keywords:
Illegal Trade
Natural Resources
Wildlife Crime (U.S.)
Wildlife Smuggling
Wildlife Trafficking

Author: Feilding, Amanda

Title: Illicit Drugs Markets and Dimensions of Violence in Guatemala

Summary: At this civil society meeting, Amanda Feilding presented the Beckley Foundation's latest report on the impact of the illegal drug trade in Guatemala. Titled 'Illicit Drug Markets and Dimensions of Violence in Guatemala', the report looks at socio-economic indicators while exploring Guatemala's illicit drugs market. It makes evidence-informed policy recommendations based on the Beckley Foundation Latin American Chapter's original research. The Beckley Foundation Latin American Chapter outlined reform and public engagement tactics that we hope will lead to public-health minded alternative approaches to the War on Drugs.

Details: Oxford, UK: Beckley Foundation, 2013. 80p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 14, 2014 at: http://www.beckleyfoundation.org/Illicit-Drug-Markets.pdf

Year: 2013

Country: Guatemala

URL: http://www.beckleyfoundation.org/Illicit-Drug-Markets.pdf

Shelf Number: 132343

Keywords:
Drug Markets (Guatemala)
Drug Offenders
Drug Policy
Drug-Related Violence
Illegal Trade
Illicit Drugs
War on Drugs

Author: International Consortium of Investigative Journalists

Title: Tobacco Underground: The Global Trade in Smuggled Cigarettes

Summary: Tobacco Underground is a project of the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists. Working with reporters in more than a dozen countries, ICIJ is charting the frontlines of the illicit traffic in cigarettes. During 2000 and 2001, a team of reporters from the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists broke a series of landmark stories exposing how leading tobacco companies worked with criminal networks to smuggle cigarettes around the world. Relying on interviews with insiders and thousands of internal industry documents, the unique team - based in six countries - pieced together how smuggling played a key role in big tobacco's strategy to boost sales and increase market share. Those revelations, and others that followed, helped prompt lawsuits and government inquiries, and led to promises of a global crackdown on the illegal trade in tobacco.

Details: Washington, DC: International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, 2009. 190p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 15, 2014 at: http://cloudfront-9.icij.org/sites/icij/files/tobaccounderground_0.pdf

Year: 2009

Country: International

URL: http://cloudfront-9.icij.org/sites/icij/files/tobaccounderground_0.pdf

Shelf Number: 132375

Keywords:
Cigarette Smuggling
Illegal Trade
Organized Crime
Tax Avoidance
Tobacco

Author: International Fund for Animal Welfare

Title: Click to Delete: Australian Websites Selling Endangered Wildlife

Summary: Wildlife crime ranks among the most lucrative of serious and organised international crimes along with human trafficking, drug running and illegal arms and in many ways can be just as dangerous and damaging. Various organisations and reports estimate that the trade is worth at least NZ$22 billion per year worldwide1 and the threat it poses to many of the world's most iconic species including elephants, rhinos and big cats is now widely recognised.

Details: Sydney: IFAW Oceania, 2014. 12p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed June 17, 2014 at: http://www.ifaw.org/sites/default/files/IFAW_Internet%20Trade%20Report_NZ%20web.pdf

Year: 2014

Country: Australia

URL: http://www.ifaw.org/sites/default/files/IFAW_Internet%20Trade%20Report_NZ%20web.pdf

Shelf Number: 132493

Keywords:
Endangered Wildlife
Illegal Trade
Organized Crime
Wildlife Crime

Author: Nellemann, Christian, ed.

Title: The Environmental Crime Crisis: Threats to Sustainable Development from Illegal Exploitation and Trade in Wildlife and Forest Resources

Summary: Given the alarming pace, level of sophistication, and globalized nature that illegal trade in wildlife has now notoriously achieved, UNEP initiated a Rapid Response Assessment to provide some of the latest data, analysis, and broadest insights into the phenomenon. Tackling illegal wildlife trade demands this examination of the relationship between the environmental resources at stake, their legal and illegal exploitation, the loopholes that exacerbate the situation, the scale and types of crimes committed, and the dynamics of the demand driving the trade. In the international community, there is now growing recognition that the issue of the illegal wildlife trade has reached significant global proportions. Illegal wildlife trade and environmental crime involve a wide range of flora and fauna across all continents, estimated to be worth USD 70-213 billion annually. This compares to a global official development assistance envelope of about 135 billion USD per annum. The illegal trade in natural resources is depriving developing economies of billions of dollars in lost revenues and lost development opportunities, while benefiting a relatively small criminal fraternity. This report focuses on the far-reaching consequences of the environmental crime phenomenon we face today. The situation has worsened to the extent that illegal trade in wildlife's impacts are now acknowledged to go well beyond strictly environmental impacts - by seriously undermining economies and livelihoods, good governance, and the rule of law Even the security and safety of countries and communities is affected: the report highlights how wildlife and forest crime, including charcoal, provides potentially significant threat finance to militias and terrorist groups. Already recognized as a grave issue in DRC and Somalia by the UN Security Council, the assessment reveals that the scale and role of wildlife and forest crime in threat finance calls for much wider policy attention, well beyond those regions.

Details: Arendal, NO; Nairobi: GRID-Arendal, 2014. 106p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed June 30, 2014 at: http://www.grida.no/publications/rr/crime/

Year: 2014

Country: International

URL: http://www.grida.no/publications/rr/crime/

Shelf Number: 132569

Keywords:
Environmental Crime
Forests
Illegal Logging
Illegal Trade
Natural Resources
Organized Crime
Wildlife Crime

Author: Woodiwiss, Michael

Title: Moralism, Mafias and Markets: The evoluation of popular and governmental understanding of organized crime

Summary: By June 2012, 147 nations had signed the United Nations (UN) Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (UNTOC). Most governments, therefore, broadly share a common understanding of the problem and ways to combat it. From the background literature to the Convention it is also clear that it followed on from the 1988 UN Convention against the Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances and was thus part of an effort to strengthen the global drug prohibition regime as well as to bring some order to a world where illicit trading flows seem to be out of governmental control. By signing the Convention governments agreed to put in place organized crime control methods mainly pioneered in the United States or recommended by the United States as transnational policing has evolved to combat what is now commonly perceived as an international security threat. These methods include anti-money laundering measures, the confiscation of criminal assets, the ending of bank secrecy, the protection of witnesses, the carrying out of international joint police investigations, the exchange of information, and the provision of mutual legal assistance. In 2010 the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) launched a publication entitled, The Globalization of Crime; A Transnational Organized Crime Threat Assessment. This represents the international community's current understanding and approach to organized crime and is already influencing the way individual states present the problem to their peoples. The report featured a large number of maps and charts to illustrate illicit trading flows and their markets. It found that, 'Drugs remain the highest value illicit commodities trafficked internationally, by quite a wide margin' and added that the 'flows coming closest are actually those best integrated into licit markets - counterfeit goods and illicit timber - as well as those involving illicit human movements'. The hope was that an effective review mechanism to measure progress and identify needs would emerge from the UNODC's research efforts. This paper tracks the evolution of the understanding of organized crime from its American origins to the analysis outlined in the UNODC report. It begins by describing the construction of narratives that convinced people first in the U.S. and then internationally of the need for drastic and co-ordinated action against organized crime, and the evolution of widely-accepted but inadequate national and international responses to organized and transnational organized crime. Although there are methodological flaws and false assumptions in the UNODC's analysis, as pointed out by Peter Andreas, this paper finds much that is positive in it, particularly in the move away from conspiracy interpretations towards the need for a better and more insightful understanding of criminal markets. At the same time, the analysis warns that a radical departure from the current prohibitive approach to the many and varied kinds of drugs now available in the global marketplace is required in order to limit the undoubtedly destructive impact of organized criminal activity to any significant extent.

Details: Bristol, UK: University of the West of New England, 2013. 18p.

Source: Internet Resource: Working Paper: Accessed July 2, 2014 at: http://eprints.uwe.ac.uk/22126/2/MoralismFinalVersion.pdf

Year: 2013

Country: International

URL: http://eprints.uwe.ac.uk/22126/2/MoralismFinalVersion.pdf

Shelf Number: 132607

Keywords:
Illegal Trade
Illicit Trade
Organized Crime

Author: Greenpeace

Title: Licence to Launder: How Herakles Farms' Illegal Timber Trade Threatens Cameroon's Forests and VPA

Summary: The oil palm plantation being developed by Herakles Farms in the southwest region of Cameroon - an area of great biodiversity surrounded by five protected areas - illustrates what happens when irresponsible companies are not held accountable to local laws and processes. The companies activities pose a serious threat to forested areas and the communities who rely upon the forest for their livelihoods. Herakles Farms was originally trying to acquire more than 70,000 hectares of forested land in the region in 2009. Its local subsidiary, SG Sustainable Oils Cameroon (SGSOC), began clearing forest despite the fact the project did not have a land lease signed by the president as required by Cameroon law. Greenpeace and other local and international NGOs have continued to exposed Herakles Farms' illegal operations and the threats its irresponsible project poses to local livelihoods, environment and global climate. In this report, Greenpeace reveals how the company is now colluding with the Cameroonian government to commercialise the timber - much of which was illegally felled - from its project, despite previously categorically stating that it had no intention to do so. This new development demonstrates the persistent illegalities at the heart of the Herakles Farms project, indicative of a wider problem in many land deals and the logging sector in Africa. If allowed to persist, it will also seriously undermine Cameroon's Voluntary Partnership Agreement (VPA) with the EU to stop illegal logging. Finally, it sends the message that, if companies are allowed to behave as they wish, contravening national laws and ignoring the rights of local communities, then the forests and people of Africa will have no protection.

Details: Amsterdam: Greenpeace, 2014. 15p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed July 14, 2014 at: http://www.greenpeace.org/international/Global/international/publications/forests/2014/Licence-to-Launder.pdf

Year: 2014

Country: Cameroon

URL: http://www.greenpeace.org/international/Global/international/publications/forests/2014/Licence-to-Launder.pdf

Shelf Number: 129600

Keywords:
Deforestation
Forests
Illegal Logging
Illegal Trade
Offenses Against the Environment

Author: Doak, Naomi

Title: Polishing Off the Ivory: Surveys of Thailand's Ivory Market

Summary: Elephants are revered in Thailand and, as an important part of the country's identity, they are an integral part of Thai beliefs and culture. However, despite this, Thailand has one of the world's largest unregulated ivory markets and is consistently highlighted as one of the most problematic countries in the illegal ivory trade. Partly to blame for the current poaching crisis is Thai domestic legislation that permits trade in ivory from domesticated Asian Elephants but provides no effective mechanism or legal framework for the internal regulation of this market nor for the control of the illegal trade in ivory from either wild Asian Elephants Elephas maximus or African Elephants Loxodonta africana. Recent surveys of retail outlets across key locations in Bangkok have revealed a disturbing increase both in the number of retail outlets offering ivory as well as the quantity of ivory available. Surveys of known ivory retail outlets were carried out on a monthly basis from January-April 2013 and October 2013-May 2014. The type and number of ivory items seen for sale were recorded. Retail outlets, including those newly identified and those that only began stocking ivory during the survey period, were repeatedly revisited on subsequent surveys. In January 2013, 61 retail outlets selling ivory were found in key previously-identified locations around Bangkok while less than 12 months later, in December 2013, this figure had increased to 105 retail outlets in the same locations. During this period, the number of individual ivory pieces almost trebled, from 5,715 to 14,512, indicating a growing market and considerably exceeding what could be produced by ivory from the current domesticated elephant population. There are approximately 1,230 adult male captive elephants in Thailand and it is estimated that they could only yield approximately 650 kg of ivory annually, possibly less and typically in small sized pieces owing to the periodic trimming of tusks. This quantity is considerably less than what was observed in Bangkok markets. In addition, the number and size of specific products indicates that larger sized elephant tusks are reaching the market in Thailand and seizure data confirms attempts to move large quantities of African Elephant ivory to Thailand from Africa. Additional retail outlets, including newly established ivory outlets, were recorded in every month of the survey, despite a requirement for registration and monitoring of any retail outlet selling or processing ivory under current legislation (Commercial Registration Act of 1956). These findings are indicative of a lack of implementation of Thailand's CITES Ivory Trade Action Plan, which was drawn up to meet recommendations from the 64th meeting of the CITES Standing Committee. Indeed, the actions outlined in that plan do not appear to be having any impact on the domestic ivory market in Bangkok. The ivory market in Thailand is still thriving and remains one of the largest and most active worldwide, with high turnover of stock and continued sales to foreign tourists.

Details: Cambridge, UK: TRAFFIC International, 2014. 20p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed July 22, 2014 at: http://www.traffic.org/storage/Thailand-market-survey-report.pdf

Year: 2014

Country: Thailand

URL: http://www.traffic.org/storage/Thailand-market-survey-report.pdf

Shelf Number: 132727

Keywords:
Animal Poaching
Elephants
Illegal Markets
Illegal Trade
Ivory
Wildlife Crimes (Thailand)

Author: Calderoni, Francesco

Title: The Factbook on the Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products 5 - Germany

Summary: This report is part of the project the Factbook on the Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products (henceforth ITTP). The project has been developed by Transcrime after the Round Table on Proofing EU Regulation against the Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products hosted by Universite Cattolica of Milan, on 5 May 2011. During the Round Table, participants (researchers and policymakers with experience in the field of the illicit trade in tobacco products) agreed on a research agenda concerning the ITTP (Transcrime 2011b). Items 3 and 6 of the research agenda focused on the need for better analysis of the tobacco market taking account of its dual nature (i.e. legal and illicit) and on how licit and illicit markets vary across different countries and regions. Given these considerations, Transcrime has developed the Factbook on the ITTP, a multi-annual research plan providing detailed analyses of the ITTP and of its relations with the legal market and other socio-economic and political factors in a number of countries around the world. The aim of the Factbook is to provide an innovative instrument able to shed light on the complex mechanisms behind the ITTP in different countries. This report focuses on Germany. Tobacco consumption is undoubtedly a danger for human health, and governments should carefully regulate the tobacco market. Illicit tobacco avoids state regulation and taxation and may jeopardise tobacco control policies. The Factbook will contribute to raising awareness about the global importance of the ITTP and about the strategies available to prevent it. The Factbook has been developed for a wide readership ranging from policymakers, through academics, to interested stakeholders, the intention being to provide a support to develop knowledge-based debates and policies on the ITTP. The information gathered for this report originates from academic literature, grey literature, open sources, questionnaires and interviews with experts and stakeholders. There are few studies on the ITTP in Germany. Furthermore, information of law enforcement action comes mainly from the German Customs, while other law enforcement agencies, although involved in the fight against the ITTP, provide more limited data. In addition to the these issues, the data-gathering phase of the project encountered major difficulties due to the number of sources, institutions and stakeholders involved. The results of the report do not claim to be exhaustive, nor an accurate reflection of criminal practices. They provide an initial assessment of the ITTP in Germany and a starting point for future research.

Details: Milan, IT: Transcrime, 2013. 89p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed July 14, 2014 at: http://www.transcrime.it/en/pubblicazioni/the-factbook-on-the-illicit-trade-in-tobacco-products-5-germany/

Year: 2013

Country: Germany

URL: http://www.transcrime.it/en/pubblicazioni/the-factbook-on-the-illicit-trade-in-tobacco-products-5-germany/

Shelf Number: 132809

Keywords:
Cigarette Smuggling
Cigarettes
Illegal Trade
Illicit Tobacco
Tobacco

Author: Calderoni, Francesco

Title: The Factbook on the Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products 6 - Lithuania

Summary: The project has been developed by Transcrime after the Round Table on Proofing EU Regulation against the Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products hosted by Universita Cattolica of Milan, on 5 May 2011. During the Round Table, participants (researchers and policymakers with experience in the field of the illicit trade in tobacco products) agreed on a research agenda concerning the ITTP (Transcrime 2011). Items 3 and 6 of the research agenda focused on the need for better analysis of the tobacco market taking account of its dual nature (i.e. legal and illicit) and on how licit and illicit markets vary across different countries and regions. Given these considerations, Transcrime has developed the Factbook on the ITTP, a multi-annual research plan providing detailed analyses of the ITTP and of its relations with the legal market and other socio-economic and political factors in a number of countries around the world. The aim of the Factbook is to provide an innovative instrument able to shed light on the complex mechanisms behind the ITTP in different countries. This report focuses on Lithuania.

Details: Milan, IT: Transcrime, 2014. 97p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed July 29, 2014 at: http://www.transcrime.it/pubblicazioni/the-factbook-on-the-illicit-trade-in-tobacco-products-6-lithuania/

Year: 2014

Country: Lithuania

URL: http://www.transcrime.it/pubblicazioni/the-factbook-on-the-illicit-trade-in-tobacco-products-6-lithuania/

Shelf Number: 132810

Keywords:
Cigarette Smuggling
Cigarettes
Illegal Trade
Illicit Tobacco
Tobacco

Author: Calderoni, Francesco

Title: The Factbook on the Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products 3 - Ireland

Summary: This report is part of the project The Factbook on the Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products (henceforth ITTP). The project has been developed by Transcrime after the Round Table on Proofing EU Regulation against the Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products hosted by Universita Cattolica of Milan, on 5 May 2011. During the Round Table, participants (researchers and policymakers with experience in the field of the illicit trade in tobacco products) agreed on a research agenda concerning the ITTP (Transcrime 2011b). Items 3 and 6 of the research agenda focused on the need for better analysis of the tobacco market taking account of its dual nature (i.e. legal and illicit) and on how licit and illicit markets vary across different countries and regions. Given these considerations, Transcrime has developed the Factbook on the ITTP, a multi-annual research plan providing detailed analyses of the ITTP and of its relations with the legal market and other socioeconomic and political factors in a number of countries around the world. The aim of the Factbook is to provide an innovative instrument able to shed light on the complex mechanisms behind the ITTP in different countries. This report focuses on Ireland. Given the close geographical, social, economic and cultural connections, it also focuses, where appropriate, on Northern Ireland, a part of the United Kingdom.1 Tobacco consumption is undoubtedly a danger for human health, and governments should carefully regulate the tobacco market. Illicit tobacco avoids state regulation and taxation and may jeopardize tobacco control policies. The Factbook will contribute to raising awareness about the global importance of the ITTP and about the strategies available to prevent it. The Factbook has been developed for a wide readership ranging from policymakers, through academics, to interested stakeholders, the intention being to provide a support to develop knowledge-based debates and policies on the ITTP. The information gathered for this report originates from academic literature, grey literature, open sources, questionnaires and interviews with experts and stakeholders. While there are some studies on the ITTP in Ireland, the data-gathering phase of the projects encountered major difficulties due to the number of sources, institutions and stakeholders involved. The results of the report do not claim to be exhaustive, nor an accurate reflection of criminal practices. They provide an initial assessment of the ITTP in Ireland and a starting point for future research.

Details: Milan, IT: Transcrime, 2013. 100p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed July 29, 2014 at: http://www.transcrime.it/pubblicazioni/the-factbook-on-the-illicit-trade-in-tobacco-products-3-ireland/

Year: 2013

Country: Ireland

URL: http://www.transcrime.it/pubblicazioni/the-factbook-on-the-illicit-trade-in-tobacco-products-3-ireland/

Shelf Number: 132811

Keywords:
Cigarette Smuggling
Cigarettes
Illegal Trade
Illicit Tobacco
Tobacco

Author: Calderoni, Francesco

Title: The Factbook on the Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products 1 - United Kingdom

Summary: This report provides the first country profile of the Factbook on the Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products project. The country profile focuses on the UK, where the illicit trade in tobacco products (hereinafter ITTP) has become an important concern since the 1990s. Although Government action since 2000 has successfully reduced the market share of illicit tobacco, the UK's illegal market is still above the average of other EU Member States. WHAT CAN BE FOUND IN THIS REPORT? This report is organised into three sections: Section one deals with the five drivers of the ITTP: society and economy, the legal market, regulation, the crime environment and enforcement. The drivers are important areas whose structures may positively or negatively impact on the ITTP. To enable comparison with other country profiles, five key indicators have been selected for each driver. Section two focuses on the four components of the ITTP: demand, products, supply, modus operandi and geographical distribution. Section three identifies the key factors of the ITTP in UK and frames the drivers in the components, analysing how different elements of the drivers influence the components of ITTP.

Details: Milan, IT: Transcrime, 2013. 100p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed July 29, 2013 at: http://www.transcrime.it/en/pubblicazioni/the-factbook-on-the-illicit-trade-in-tobacco-products-1/

Year: 2013

Country: United Kingdom

URL: http://www.transcrime.it/en/pubblicazioni/the-factbook-on-the-illicit-trade-in-tobacco-products-1/

Shelf Number: 132814

Keywords:
Cigarette Smuggling
Cigarettes
Illegal Trade
Illicit Tobacco
Tobacco

Author: Calderoni, Francesco

Title: The Factbook on the Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products 2 - Italy

Summary: This report is part of the project The Factbook on the Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products. It focuses on Italy, where the illicit trade in tobacco seems to have grown in recent years. This fact, combined with the geographical location of the country and the consolidated presence of organised crime, makes Italy an interesting country to explore in terms of ITTP flows in the Mediterranean basin and towards North European countries. WHAT CAN BE FOUND IN THIS REPORT? This report is organised into three chapters: - Chapter one deals with the five drivers of the ITTP: society and economy, the legal market, regulation, the crime environment and enforcement. The drivers are important areas whose structures may positively or negatively impact on the ITTP. To enable comparison with other country profiles, five key indicators have been selected for each driver. The data for the driver indicators come from comparable sources (latest available years). When possible, the report provides the most up-to-date data from national sources. - Chapter two focuses on the four components of the ITTP: demand, supply, products, modus operandi and geographical distribution. - Chapter three identifies the key factors of the ITTP in Italy and frames the drivers in the components, analysing how different elements of the drivers influence the components of the ITTP.

Details: Milan, IT: Transcrime, 2013. 110p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed July 29, 2014 at: http://www.transcrime.it/en/pubblicazioni/the-factbook-on-the-illicit-trade-in-tobacco-products-2-italia/

Year: 2013

Country: Italy

URL: http://www.transcrime.it/en/pubblicazioni/the-factbook-on-the-illicit-trade-in-tobacco-products-2-italia/

Shelf Number: 132816

Keywords:
Cigarette Smuggling
Cigarettes
Illegal Trade
Illicit Tobacco
Tobacco

Author: KPMG

Title: Project Sun: A study of the illicit cigarette market in the European Union. 2013 Results

Summary: One in every ten cigarettes consumed in the European Union in 2013 were illicit, 33% of which were "illicit whites", an emerging type of illegal, branded cigarettes manufactured for the sole purpose of being smuggled, according to a KPMG study. At these levels, EU governments lost approximately L10.9 billion to the illegal market. KPMG found the highest illegal trade incidence levels for 2013 in Latvia (28.8%), Lithuania (27.1%), Ireland (21.1%), Estonia (18.6%) and Bulgaria (18.2%). The highest volumes of illegal cigarettes were consumed in Germany and France with 11.3 billion and 9.6 billion illegal cigarettes, respectively, and Poland and Greece where "illicit whites" accounted for 9.1% and 12.2% of consumption respectively. Other key findings include: - Overall, 58.6 billion illegal cigarettes were consumed in the EU; this is equivalent to the total legal cigarette markets of Spain and Portugal combined and represents a total tax revenue loss of L10.9 billion; - In 2013, 10.5% of all cigarettes consumed in the EU were illegal, compared to 11.1% in 2012 and 10.4% in 2011; - The prevalence of contraband - which excludes "illicit whites" and counterfeit - dropped significantly by 26.7% to 35.6 billion cigarettes; - "Illicit whites" reached a record high of 19.6 billion cigarettes, from virtually zero in 2006; and - The highest "illicit white" volumes for 2013 were measured in Poland (4.0 billion), Greece (2.8 billion), Spain (2.5 billion), Bulgaria (1.6 billion) and Germany (1.4 billion). Despite the overall decline in the illegal market in 2013, the EU's black market for tobacco remains a significant source of revenue loss for governments and a resilient competitor to the legitimate manufacturers and trade. This illegal activity not only comes at a financial cost, but it fosters criminality in local communities. British American Tobacco plc (BAT), Imperial Tobacco Group plc (Imperial), Japan Tobacco International (JTI) and Philip Morris International Inc. (PMI) continue to devote significant resources to combat this problem - above the requirements set out in their Cooperation Agreements with the European Commission - underpinned by the conviction that effective solutions require solid cooperation between governments, law enforcement agencies, manufacturers and retailers. For the first time since its inception in 2006, KPMG's study was commissioned by all four major tobacco manufacturers operating in the EU - BAT, Imperial, JTI and PMI. This allowed KPMG access to a wider set of data sources, which further refined and improved the completeness of the analysis. Prior to 2013, the study was commissioned by PMI as part of the company's commitments under its Cooperation Agreement with the European Commission.

Details: Lausanne, Switzerland: Philip Morris International, 2013. 362p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed July 31, 2014 at: http://www.pmi.com/eng/media_center/media_kit/pages/sun_report_2013.aspx#

Year: 2013

Country: Europe

URL: http://www.pmi.com/eng/media_center/media_kit/pages/sun_report_2013.aspx#

Shelf Number: 132850

Keywords:
Black Markets
Contraband Cigarettes
Contraband Tobacco
Illegal Cigarettes (Europe)
Illegal Tobacco
Illegal Trade

Author: International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW)

Title: Click to Delete: Endangered Wildlife for Sale in New Zealand

Summary: Wildlife crime ranks among the most lucrative of serious and organised international crimes along with human trafficking, drug running and illegal arms and in many ways can be just as dangerous and damaging. Various organisations and reports estimate that the trade is worth at least NZ$22 billion per year worldwide1 and the threat it poses to many of the world's most iconic species including elephants, rhinos and big cats is now widely recognised.

Details: Sydney: IFAW Oceania, 2014. 12p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed August 12, 2014 at: http://www.ifaw.org/sites/default/files/IFAW_Internet%20Trade%20Report_NZ%20web.pdf

Year: 2014

Country: New Zealand

URL: http://www.ifaw.org/sites/default/files/IFAW_Internet%20Trade%20Report_NZ%20web.pdf

Shelf Number: 133015

Keywords:
Endangered Wildlife (New Zealand)
Illegal Trade
Organized Crime
Wildlife Crime

Author: Milliken, Tom

Title: Illegal Trade in Ivory and Rhino Horn: As Assessment to Improve Law Enforcement Under the Wildlife TRAPS Project

Summary: Illegal rhino horn trade has reached the highest levels since the early 1990s, and illegal trade in ivory increased by nearly 300 percent from 1998 to 2011, according to a new report by U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) partner TRAFFIC. The report, Illegal trade in ivory and rhino horn: an assessment to improve law enforcement, is a key step to achieving USAID's vision to adapt and deploy a range of development tools and interventions to significantly reduce illegal wildlife trafficking. The report was prepared by the wildlife monitoring network TRAFFIC in partnership with USAID. The assessment uses robust analysis to identify capacity gaps and key intervention points in countries combating wildlife trafficking. Seizure data indicate that "the fundamental trade dynamic now lies between Africa and Asia," according to the report. In China and Thailand, elephant ivory is fashioned into jewelry and carved into other decorative items, while wealthy consumers in Vietnam use rhino horn as a drug which they mistakenly believe cure hangovers and detoxify the body. Rhinos and elephants are under serious poaching pressure throughout Africa, with even previously safe populations collapsing: Central Africa's forest elephants have been reduced by an estimated 76 percent over the past 12 years while in Tanzania's Selous Game Reserve, elephant numbers have fallen from 70,000 in 2007 to only 13,000 by late 2013. A record 1004 rhinos were poached in 2013 in South Africa alone - a stark contrast to the 13 animals poached there in 2007 before the latest crisis began. Record quantities of ivory were seized worldwide between 2011 and 2013, with an alarming increase in the frequency of large-scale ivory seizures (500 kg or more) since 2000. Preliminary data already show more large-scale ivory seizures in 2013 than in the previous 25 years. Although incomplete, 2013 raw data already represent the greatest quantity of ivory in these seizures in more than 25 years. Both rhino horn and ivory trafficking are believed to function as Asian-run, African-based operations, with the syndicates increasingly relying on sophisticated technology to run their operations. In order to disrupt and apprehend the individuals behind them, the global response needs to be equally sophisticated. "There's no single solution to addressing the poaching crisis in Africa, and while the criminals master-minding and profiting from the trafficking have gotten smarter, so too must enforcement agencies, who need to improve collaborative efforts in order to disrupt the criminal syndicates involved in this illicit trade," says Nick Ahlers, the leader of the Wildlife TRAPS Project. Rhino horn is often smuggled by air, using international airports as transit points between source countries in Africa and demand countries in Asia. Since 2009, the majority of ivory shipments have involved African seaports, increasingly coming out of East Africa. As fewer than 5 percent of export containers are examined in seaports, wildlife law enforcement relies greatly on gathering and acting on intelligence to detect illegal ivory shipments. The report recommends further developing coordinated, specialized intelligence units to disrupt organized criminal networks by identifying key individuals and financial flows and making more high level arrests. Also critically important are improved training, law enforcement technology, and monitoring judiciary processes at key locations in Africa and Asia.

Details: Cambridge, UK; TRAFFIC International; Washington, DC: USAID, 2014. 30p.

Source: Internet Resource: A Traffic Report: Accessed September 27, 2014 at: http://www.traffic.org/storage/W-TRAPS-Elephant-Rhino-report.pdf

Year: 2014

Country: International

URL: http://www.traffic.org/storage/W-TRAPS-Elephant-Rhino-report.pdf

Shelf Number: 133456

Keywords:
Animal Poaching
Criminal Networks
Illegal Trade
Ivory
Rhinos
Smuggling
Wildlife Crime
Wildlife Law Enforcement
Wildlife Trafficking

Author: Benson, Bernadine Carol

Title: Addressing heritage crime in Gauteng, South Africa : an integrative exposition

Summary: This research explored, described and explained the nature and the extent of heritage crime as it manifested in the Gauteng Province of South Africa for the period 2006-2010. Gauteng was selected since it is deemed to be the hub of the legal trade. An operational definition of heritage objects was drafted for this study as �objects of artistic, cultural, historic or archaeological value regardless of age, housed in or curated by museums or galleries within Gauteng, and which are both tangible and moveable.� Heritage crime for the purpose of this study was the illegal removal of any heritage object from a museum or gallery. The annual crime statistics released by the South African Police Services (SAPS) contain no reference to heritage crime of any sort. Therefore this research attempted to quantify the incidents of thefts experienced by museums and galleries in Gauteng for the period 2006-2010. Using a mixed method approach, data were gathered by qualitative and quantitative surveys. A total of 28 qualitative interviews were conducted. These data were integrated with the quantitative data which permitted the achievement of the strategic aims set out for this research. The following aims were achieved: � The roles and responsibilities of the custodians of the national estate were clarified; � International conventions designed to assist in combating crime perpetrated against cultural property were discussed; � The national legislation which guides the management, preservation and protection of heritage objects as well as the trade therein within South Africa was examined; � Policing agencies at the forefront of combating heritage crime were interviewed and international best practices were identified and compared with that which the SAPS are doing to address crime of this nature. These police agencies are situated in Italy, the United Kingdom, the USA and Germany; � The dynamics of the reported incidents of loss/theft were examined. Several anomalies were identified. Among these are the identification of the typologies of items being targeted and the possible identification of the type of thief perpetrating these crimes. � Through analysis of incidents it was also possible to highlight that the majority of thefts occur during the time when museums and galleries are open and that the items stolen are usually on open display (not affixed to the surface and not behind a barrier of any sort). Through the analysis of the data for legal trade and the theft incidents it was possible to design a Framework depicting the interface between the legal and illegal markets for trade in heritage objects. The research also provides law enforcement with minimum guidelines to ensure that crimes of this nature are addressed more effectively

Details: Pretoria: University of South Africa, 2013. 345p.

Source: Internet Resource: Dissertation: Accessed October 9, 2014 at: http://uir.unisa.ac.za/bitstream/handle/10500/13055/Phd%20Benson%20FINAL%20cover%20and%20body%20after%20exam%202013-08-26.pdf?sequence=1

Year: 2013

Country: South Africa

URL: http://uir.unisa.ac.za/bitstream/handle/10500/13055/Phd%20Benson%20FINAL%20cover%20and%20body%20after%20exam%202013-08-26.pdf?sequence=1

Shelf Number: 133905

Keywords:
Art Theft (South Africa)
Cultural Property
Heritage Crime
Illegal Trade
Museums
Stolen Property

Author: Lum, Meagan

Title: Contemporary approaches to stopping the illegal ivory trade: a case study in cultural motivations

Summary: Elephants and their ivory have a rich and long history in Thailand. However, the demand for ivory in Thailand is dramatically affecting elephant populations, particularly African elephants. While the consumption of ivory is banned in most countries, Thailand still allows for domestic consumption, resulting in the mixing of legal and illegal ivory. Understanding the cultural traditions that gives rise to contemporary values and beliefs about the consumption of ivory can provide significant and critical insight into why people consume it. This study argues that greater contextual understanding of cultural beliefs can make awareness campaigns more effective at reducing the consumption of ivory. To understand cultural motivations more deeply, this study uses a sociological perspective, primarily that of Pierre Bourdieu. This provides a more contextual engagement with Thai consumers, reconnects them with cultural values about elephants and their importance in Thai society, and works towards a shift in attitudes about consuming ivory.

Details: Burnaby, BC, Canada: Simon Fraser University, 2014. 68p.

Source: Internet Resource: Thesis: Accessed October 15, 2015 at: http://summit.sfu.ca/item/14215

Year: 2014

Country: Thailand

URL: http://summit.sfu.ca/item/14215

Shelf Number: 133918

Keywords:
Animal Poaching
Elephants
Illegal Ivory Trade
Illegal Trade
Ivory
Wildlife Crime (Thailand)

Author: De Greef, Kimon

Title: South Africa's illicit abalone trade: An updated overview and knowledge gap analysis

Summary: More than two decades of unsustainable harvesting has had damaging, and potentially irreversible, consequences for South Africa's formerly abundant stocks of the endemic abalone, Haliotis midae. Efforts to combat the illegal trade, including listing the species in the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) Appendix III in 2007, conducting government-led enforcement operations, establishing designated environmental courts to deal with abalone poachers, and developing more inclusive fisheries policies have been largely unsuccessful. This has been due to a lack of adequate resources and long standing socio-political grievances between small-scale-fishermen and the post-apartheid government. In 2010, H. midae was delisted from CITES Appendix III, despite increased levels of illegal poaching, due to difficulties in implementation according to the South African government. Organized criminal syndicates have taken advantage of this socio-political dynamic mentioned above to recruit poachers from local communities who feel disenfranchised by government policy and entitled to extract the easily harvested resource. Furthermore, evidence suggests that poachers are sometimes paid for service in illegal drugs, adding another complex layer of social challenges and addiction along the coast of South Africa. Trade data analysis on abalone reveals a complex network that links poaching to syndicated trade through various countries, some of them landlocked, across southern Africa before eventually reaching Asian markets. Calls for radical governance reform have been made, but change is slow. Nevertheless, there is value in profiling the illegal trade as fully as possible, to draw lessons for dealing with poaching and other forms of wildlife crime more effectively in the future. This briefing paper is a synthesis of current knowledge about South Africa's illegal abalone fishery, drawing on both available literature and unpublished research. The briefing paper is not exhaustive, but offers a comprehensive and up to date overview of the history, drivers, impacts and modus operandi of this country's illicit abalone trade. By profiling the current situation holistically, this briefing paper aims to inform stakeholders and stimulate discussion on recommended solutions and further areas of study as described in Section 4.

Details: Cambridge, UK: TRAFFIC International, 2014. 36p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 17, 2014 at: http://www.traffic.org/storage/USAID%20W-TRAPS%20Abalone%20Briefing%20Paper_Final.pdf

Year: 2014

Country: South Africa

URL: http://www.traffic.org/storage/USAID%20W-TRAPS%20Abalone%20Briefing%20Paper_Final.pdf

Shelf Number: 133738

Keywords:
Abalone
Animal Poaching
Endangered Species
Fishing
Illegal Trade
Organized Crime
Wildlife Crimes (South Africa)

Author: United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC)

Title: Criminal Justice Response to wildlife and forest crime in Lao PDR

Summary: Laos in a landlocked country of about 5.7 million people made up of 49 broad ethnic groups. Approximately eighty per cent of the population is located in rural areas and many depend on agriculture and natural resources for survival. The country is bordered by China, Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand and Myanmar. It is governed in the framework of a single socialist political party, the Lao People's Revolutionary Party (LPPR). Laos is a land rich in biological diversity and home to unique and rare species of flora and fauna. Many of these species are listed under Appendices I, II and III of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). These flora species include high value timber species such as Aquilaria crassna and Aquilaria baillonii commonly known as Argarwood (Appendix I) and Dalbergia cochinchinensis commonly known as Siamese Rosewood (Appendix III) and rare orchids such as the Paphiopedilum appletonianum commonly known as Appleton's Paphiopedilum (Appendix I). Some of the better known CITES listed fauna species found in Laos include the Tiger (Appendix I), Leopard (Appendix I), Clouded Leopard (Appendix I), Elephant (Appendix I), Sun Bear (Appendix I), Asiatic Black Bear (Appendix I), Pangolin (Appendix II) and several turtles including the Indochinese Box Turtle (Appendix I). Despite their protection under CITES and National Laws, Lao forests have undergone extensive commercial logging over the last 30 years with forest cover dropping from 75% in 1979 to 40% in 2009. In 2014 a government initiated planting program has increased forest cover to just over 50% but the country has a long way to go to reach its goal of 65% cover by 2015 and 70% by 2020. There is growing evidence that transnational organised crime groups are contributing to a significant degree to forest exploitation and the Lao government has come under harsh criticism for its failure to control the illegal logging of its forests. Many of Laos' fauna species have fared no better and continue to be subjected to illegal trafficking to feed markets in neighbouring China and Vietnam. The objective of this study therefore is to determine what role the criminal justice system in Laos is playing in the struggle against the illegal trade in timber and wildlife. It is based on a field visit to Laos, a review of the available primary and secondary data, interviews with key interlocutors and a roundtable meeting of senior officers from the key government departments, IGO's and NGO's held in Vientiane in September 2014. During the meeting in September the current version of the report was circulated to all participants both in Lao language and in English to solicit comments and feedback. The presentations of the senior officers at the September meeting were eventually incorporated into what has become the final version of the report. Interviews were mainly conducted with key players of the criminal justice systems such as prosecutors, police, customs and environment/forestry officials involved in law enforcement.

Details: New York: UNODC, 2014. 34p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 30, 2014 at: https://www.unodc.org/documents/southeastasiaandpacific//2014/10/trade-timber/Criminal_Justice_Responses_to_the_Illegal_Trade_in_Timber_in_South_East_Asia_v7.pdf

Year: 2014

Country: Laos

URL: https://www.unodc.org/documents/southeastasiaandpacific//2014/10/trade-timber/Criminal_Justice_Responses_to_the_Illegal_Trade_in_Timber_in_South_East_Asia_v7.pdf

Shelf Number: 133831

Keywords:
Forest Management
Illegal Logging
Illegal Trade
Organized Crime
Wildlife Conservation
Wildlife Crimes (Laos)
Wildlife Law Enforcement
Wildlife Trafficking

Author: Environmental Investigation Agency

Title: Vanishing Point: Criminality, Corruption and the Devastation of Tanzania's Elephants

Summary: The devastating poaching crisis in Tanzania 25 years ago was characterized by increased criminality, corruption, the proliferation of firearms, the failure of the judicial system and the perception that Tanzania was a sanctuary for criminals. Between 1977-87, Tanzania lost over 50,000 elephants, more than 50 per cent of its population. The Government concluded that without drastic action the country would lose both its elephants and international credibility. In 1989, recognising it could not tackle the situation alone and, in the face of considerable opposition from key allies, Tanzania proposed an international ban on all African ivory trade. As a result, it was hailed as a champion for African elephants and a global conservation leader. The ban succeeded for a decade. The poaching crisis was brought under control and many elephant populations either recovered or stabilised. In Tanzania, the population increased to about 142,788 by 2006, with over half in the Selous ecosystem. However, all the indicators that raised the alarm in the 1980s have made a disturbing reappearance and Tanzania's elephants are again being slaughtered en masse to feed a resurgent ivory trade. Tanzania is a key player in the illegal ivory trade. While the escalation in poaching is generally traced to 2009, evidence suggests the trend started four years earlier, indicating deeper entrenchment than previously acknowledged. Between 2009-13, there has been a devastating decline. The Selous population fell by 66 per cent in just over four years. Based on available evidence, Tanzania has lost more elephants to poaching during this period than any other country. In 2013 alone, it reportedly lost 10,000 elephants, equivalent to 30 a day. Tanzania's elephants continue to be poached to supply a growing demand in an unregulated illegal ivory market, predominantly in China. Seizure data implicates Tanzania in more large flows of ivory than any other country. It is also consistently linked to criminal cases featuring exceptionally large consignments of ivory recovered in places as diverse as Hong Kong, Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Sri Lanka and Taiwan. The poaching crisis in Tanzania is due to a toxic mix of criminal syndicates, often led by Chinese nationals, and corruption among some Tanzanian Government officials. This report shows that without a zero-tolerance approach, the future of Tanzania's elephants and its tourism industry are precarious. The ivory trade must be disrupted at all levels of criminality, the entire prosecution chain needs to be systemically restructured and all stakeholders, including communities exploited by the criminal syndicates and those on the front lines of enforcement, given unequivocal support. All trade in ivory should be resolutely banned, especially in China.

Details: London; Washington, DC: EIA, 2014. 36p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed November 10, 2014 at: http://eia-international.org/wp-content/uploads/EIA-Vanishing-Point-lo-res1.pdf

Year: 2014

Country: Tanzania

URL: http://eia-international.org/wp-content/uploads/EIA-Vanishing-Point-lo-res1.pdf

Shelf Number: 134013

Keywords:
Animal Poaching
Elephants
Illegal Trade
Ivory
Wildlife Crime (Tanzania)

Author: United Nations Environment Programme

Title: Experts' background report on illegal exploitation and trade in natural resources benefitting organized criminal groups and recommendations on MONUSCO's role in fostering stability and peace in eastern DR Congo

Summary: This report examines the role of transnational environmental crime as one of the several key factors fuelling the protracted conflict cycle in eastern Democratic Congo. It makes recommendations on how MONUSCO, in its forthcoming down-sizing phase, might wick to endeavor supporting the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo in addressing apparent segments of the Congolese political economy that are linked to transnational environmental crime.

Details: Nairobi, Kenya: UNEP, 2015. 39p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 23, 2015 at: http://postconflict.unep.ch/publications/UNEP_DRCongo_MONUSCO_OSESG_final_report.pdf

Year: 2015

Country: Congo, Democratic Republic

URL: http://postconflict.unep.ch/publications/UNEP_DRCongo_MONUSCO_OSESG_final_report.pdf

Shelf Number: 135775

Keywords:
Illegal Trade
Natural Resources
Offences Against the Environment
Organized Crime

Author: Duffy, Rosaleen

Title: Mapping Donors: Key Areas for Tackling Illegal Wildlife Trade (Africa and Asia)

Summary: The wildlife trade is rapidly becoming a major international priority for governments, NGOs and private philanthropists (for example see White House, 2014). This is evidenced in the recent increase in funding made available for wildlife trade related projects. Recent examples include: USAID has committed US$40 million, Howard G. Buffett Foundation has committed US$25 million to South Africa for rhino protection, The Clinton Global Initiative has pledged to raise US$80 million (US$10 million from US Government already) and the UK Government has identified it as a major policy, with the announcement of a L10 million fund for tackling the trade. The authors mapped the donors and projects following a review of secondary and grey literature as well as relevant websites. However, such a search can only ever be considered as indicative rather than comprehensive: the range of organisations involved in conservation initiatives is complex and extensive. Further it is difficult to disaggregate projects that deal with specific species conservation (e.g. elephant or rhino) more generally, from those that specifically tackle the illegal wildlife trade - there is some inevitable overlap. The precise figures involved are also difficult to determine because of double counting, or confidentiality regarding donations. Finally, there are a number of ongoing projects which cannot be listed; they are necessarily confidential because they are aimed at uncovering various aspects of an illegal trade. From our initial assessment it appears there are four main areas: 1. Two types of funding for demand reduction initiatives: projects and campaigns 2. Funding related to rural development/CBNRM approaches is not well recognised as an effective policy response 3. Funding related to intelligence gathering, surveillance, capacity building in crime scene management is increasing as a priority 4. Funding related to counter-insurgency/security is an increasing priority Following on from this summary of current initiatives the authors were able to identify areas of weakness or gaps. 1. Need for greater understanding of the implications for community relations of a 'crime/enforcement' approach 2. Need for greater levels of intelligence sharing across states and within states 3. Rangers often coping with poor equipment and working conditions 4. The main approach to understanding the illegal wildlife trade is as a criminal activity rather than an issue of wider forms of (under)development 5. Little or no support for communities on how to resist intimidation 6. Need for capacity building in investigation skills/crime scene management 7. Need for governance related initiatives that address corruption, especially in state agencies. 8. Little understanding of the precise dynamics of demand markets/consumer motivation 9. Lack of attention to pre-emptive efforts in demand reduction and anti-poaching 10. Patterns of funding differ substantially between and within states 11. Little attention paid to transit states/networks

Details: London: UK Department for International Development, 2014. 40p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 30, 2015 at: http://eprints.soas.ac.uk/18868/1/EoD_HD151_June2014_Mapping_Donors%20Final%20Report.pdf

Year: 2014

Country: International

URL: http://eprints.soas.ac.uk/18868/1/EoD_HD151_June2014_Mapping_Donors%20Final%20Report.pdf

Shelf Number: 135813

Keywords:
Animal Poaching
Illegal Trade
Wildlife Conservation
Wildlife Crime
Wildlife Law Enforcement
Wildlife Trade

Author: Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime

Title: Libya: a growing hub for Criminal Economies and Terrorist Financing in the Trans-Sahara

Summary: The Sahara has been a pipeline for smuggling and trafficking of many types of goods for well over a thousand years. Libya, which has ties to Europe dating back to the Roman Empire, has always been a key destination and transit area for many of these illicit flows. Since the fall of Gaddafi, the smuggling and trafficking business involving both armed groups and organized crime networks has increased dramatically in Libya. Instability and state breakdown has allowed the traditional tribal trans-Sahara trade, in drugs, counterfeit products and migrants and arms to grow to around US$43-80m at most, distributed among a large number of traffickers, clans and groups. The increase in flows of money and illegal goods are having repercussions across North Africa and the Sahel. Illicit finances and weaponry from Libya helped facilitate the rebellion in Mali in 2010, and continues to fuel conflict today. More significantly, the high number of migrants along the North African coast has enabled the development of a far more lucrative coastal migrant trade, valued now at US$ 255 - 323 million per year in Libya alone. The value of this trade dwarfs any existing trafficking and smuggling businesses in the region, and has particularly strengthened groups with a terrorist agenda, including the Islamic State. Drawn from a range of open source data and a number of recent interviews across the Saharan region, this brief documents the current scope and scale of trans-Saharan criminal economies and highlights their possible implications on stability and security. The goal of this brief is to provide a timely update of the evidence base on potential conflict drivers in the greater Sahara region, for the benefit of policy-makers, practitioners and researchers. The brief is a collaboration between the Norwegian Centre for Global Analysis (Rhipto) and the Global Initiative against Transnational Organized Crime. The brief concludes that given the level of illicit revenue it is currently possible to generate from the migrant flow, preventing Islamic State and coastal Libyan armed groups from becoming involved in or profiting from migrant smuggling should be of greater priority than attempting to cut off the long-established trans-Saharan trade routes passing through the Sahel towards Libya.

Details: Geneva: The Global Initiative, 2015. 15p.

Source: Internet Resource: Policy Brief: Accessed July 23, 2015 at: http://www.globalinitiative.net/download/global-initiative/Libya%20Criminal%20Economies%20in%20the%20trans-Sahara%20-%20May%202015.pdf

Year: 2015

Country: Libya

URL: http://www.globalinitiative.net/download/global-initiative/Libya%20Criminal%20Economies%20in%20the%20trans-Sahara%20-%20May%202015.pdf

Shelf Number: 136144

Keywords:
Financial crimes
Illegal Trade
Terrorist
Terrorist Financing

Author: Hoare, Alison

Title: Tackling Illegal Logging and the Related Trade: What Progress and Where Next?

Summary: This report is the culmination of the multi-year 'Indicators of Illegal Logging' project, in which Chatham House has sought to monitor and understand what progress is being made in global efforts to improve forest governance and address illegal logging. The first assessment, published in 2010, presented findings from 12 countries. For the second and current assessment, which is the subject of this Chatham House report, another seven countries have been added, with individual reports on all 19 countries published in 2014-15. The countries were selected on the basis of their relative importance in the world's forest sector. The nine producer countries account for about 10 per cent of global exports of wood-based products (in roundwood equivalent [RWE] volume), while the 10 processing and consumer countries account for approximately half of all global imports of wood-based products.

Details: London: The Royal Institute of International Affairs, 2015. 79p.

Source: Internet Resource: Chatham House Report: Accessed August 3, 2015 at: http://www.chathamhouse.org/sites/files/chathamhouse/field/field_document/20150715IllegalLoggingHoare.pdf

Year: 2015

Country: International

URL: http://www.chathamhouse.org/sites/files/chathamhouse/field/field_document/20150715IllegalLoggingHoare.pdf

Shelf Number: 136280

Keywords:
Forests
Illegal Logging
Illegal Trade
Natural Resource
Offenses Against the Environment

Author: United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC)

Title: Criminal Justice Responses to the Illegal Trade in Timber in Vietnam

Summary: A third of South East Asia is covered by forests and Asia as a whole accounts for 18 per cent of total global forested areas. This substantial resource has attracted considerable attention from national and international institutions, civil society and analysts, all concerned by the rate at which the forest is legally and illegally felled. Most discussions have focused on these threats from an ecological standpoint while, until recently, less attention has being given to assessing this depletion as a result of criminal activity. There is however growing evidence that sophisticated criminal operations are contributing to a significant degree to forest exploitation. As more laws and regulatory frameworks are applied to manage the remaining forests in a sustainable way, and in the context of the on-going demand for timber, this is a challenge which is likely to grow rather than diminish. The objective of this study therefore is to determine what role criminal justice system in Viet Nam is playing in the struggle against the illegal trade in timber. It is based on a series of field visits to the country, a review of the available primary and secondary data, as well as interviews with key interlocutors. Interviews were mainly conducted with key players of the criminal justice system such as prosecutors, police, customs and environment/forestry officials involved in law enforcement. Whenever possible interviews were conducted at the level of officers in charge of investigations. In parallel, interviews were conducted with representatives of International Organizations and Civil Society. The results of the study were presented to the Government of Viet Nam during the workshop Good Governance and the threats of Transnational Organized Crime in the forestry sector, organized by UNODC in Hanoi on 14 October 2013. This report is primarily concerned with the illicit exploitation of timber within forest areas and its movement and then trafficking across borders for profit. These activities often exist in the grey area between clandestine and legitimate business activities. For the purposes of this report then the broad term "illegal timber trade" will be used to refer to the illicit movements (often transboundary) of illegal and quasi-legal timber and wood products. When used in the report, the term "forest crime" refers to a broader set of criminal activities against flora and fauna in forest areas. In this formulation, the illegal trade in timber is a subset of forest crime. For the purpose of this study no specific analysis has been conducted to identify a common and internationally acceptable notion of "illegal timber". This study has simply analyzed the framework of responses to crime as defined by national laws. The political commitment to use criminal justice resources to target the illegal exploitation and trade in timber is one of the starting points of the country analysis. The criminal justice system deals with multiple crimes and face considerable public and political pressure on a range of issues. Prioritising interventions is in practice the mechanism that criminal justice actors use to meet large demands with limited resources. The issue of political will is of great relevance too given on-going accusations of level corruption and the protection of illicit logging by those, including political leaders and senior officials, who profit from it. While criminal justice systems are designed in theory to respond to all crimes, the purpose of this report is to map out as far as possible the processes in which forest crimes are detected, investigated and prosecuted - and by whom. The latter question is critical: the crime of timber exploitation and trafficking falls in the purview of multiple departments and effective coordination between them is crucial for success. Examining the different inter-linkages between the agencies involved, the report aims at stimulating a wider debate as to how the system may be assisted by external actors. The recommendations of the report are aimed at national policy makers, but also at generating a wider discussion as to how criminal justice interventions could play a more effective role in curbing the illegal exploitation and trafficking of timber. The opening section of the report introduces briefly the extent of the illicit timber trade in South East Asia and some of the challenges that have been associated with controlling it. It then provides a short overview of the key issues and mechanisms through which the criminal justice system could play a more important role in the response to the illicit timber trade. The main body of the report is constituted by the country study. This is followed by a series of concluding recommendations.

Details: Vienna: UNODC, 2013. 44p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed August 3, 2015 at: http://www.unodc.org/documents/southeastasiaandpacific//Publications/wildlife/CJS_Response_-_VIETNAM_01_13_Dec_201.pdf

Year: 2013

Country: Vietnam

URL: http://www.unodc.org/documents/southeastasiaandpacific//Publications/wildlife/CJS_Response_-_VIETNAM_01_13_Dec_201.pdf

Shelf Number: 136297

Keywords:
Forests
Illegal Logging
Illegal Trade
Offenses Against the Environment
Organized Crime

Author: AsiaPacific Group on Money Laundering

Title: APS Typology Report on Trade Based Money Laundering

Summary: 1. Trade Based Money Laundering (TBML) was recognized by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) in its landmark 2006 study as one of the three main methods by which criminal organizations and terrorist financiers move money for the purpose of disguising its origins and integrating it back into the formal economy. This method of money laundering (ML) is based upon abuse of trade transactions and their financing. The 2006 FATF Study highlighted the increasing attractiveness of TBML as a method for laundering funds, as controls on laundering of funds through misuse of the financial system (both formal and alternate) and through physical movement of cash (cash smuggling) become tighter. 2. In recent years APG members have continued to highlight vulnerabilities for TBML, but very few cases investigations or prosecutions appear to have been undertaken in the Asia/Pacific region and very few case studies had been shared. 3. The APG's TBML study aims to build on the existing studies, in particular those of the FATF, in order to study the extent of the prevalence of TBML and highlight current methods, techniques and modus operandi for TBML as well as to identify 'red flags' to detect and respond to TBML. 4. In determining the magnitude of TBML, the study considered why so few cases of TBML have been detected since the FATF's 2006 study. The Paper has sought to clarify and furnish explanations for terms and processes of 'trade finance' which are comprehensible to Money Laundering (ML) investigators. 5. This Paper has focused on TBML occurring in the course of international trade in goods. The study does not include in its scope capital flight, tax evasion, trade in services and domestic trade. The features of the dynamic environment that distinguish TBML from other forms of ML are its occurrence through intermingling of the trade sector with the trade finance sector in cross- border transactions. The foreign exchange market and the long supply chain make international trade particularly vulnerable to TBML. 6. The study included circulation of a questionnaire to APG and FATF members seeking statistically significant indicators. The Paper sets out a number of Case Studies to illustrate trends of TBML. Simplified explanations of the terms and processes of trade finance have been attempted through interaction with the private sector. A brief review of the literature on the subject generated by the FATF, FSRBs and other authors has been made. 7. There is a growing concern on how the rapid growth in the global economy has made international trade an increasingly attractive avenue to move illicit funds through financial transactions associated with the trade in goods and services. TBML is a complex phenomenon since its constituent elements cut across not only sectoral boundaries but also national borders. The dynamic environment of international trade allows TBML to take multiple forms.

Details: Sydney: Asia/Pacific Group on Money Laundering, 2012. 93p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed August 7, 2015 at: http://www.fatf-gafi.org/media/fatf/documents/reports/Trade_Based_ML_APGReport.pdf

Year: 2012

Country: Asia

URL: http://www.fatf-gafi.org/media/fatf/documents/reports/Trade_Based_ML_APGReport.pdf

Shelf Number: 136353

Keywords:
Financial Crime
Illegal Trade
Money Laundering
Organized Crime
Terrorist Financing

Author: Institute for Foreign Policy Analysis

Title: A Comprehensive Approach to Combating Illicit Trafficking

Summary: Responsible for more than $300 billion per year in trade and comprising a wide variety of products shipped over a complex web of interlocking transport routes, illicit trafficking constitutes a major security challenge that no single country or anti-trafficking organization could possibly manage alone. Indeed, the cross-border and transnational nature of the trade, combined with its diversity and the increasing agility and technological sophistication of the traffickers involved, demands a multilateral and multidimensional response from those who hope to combat it. An effective response, moreover, will require much closer coordination between the public and private sectors than exists today, as well as sturdier partnerships between and among the many national, regional, and international agencies - including a host of intergovernmental organizations (IGOs) - now charged with responsibility for one or another dimension of the illicit trafficking challenge. Indeed, pooling the expertise and resources of all the relevant stakeholders in support of an overarching comprehensive approach that leverages their collective capabilities is arguably the only way to make As for the specifics of a comprehensive approach, it must address several underlying characteristics of the current trafficking problem that are not widely understood and remain difficult to manage. First, in addition to the multi-product and inter-regional aspects of illicit trafficking noted above, a comprehensive approach must come to grips with the way in which many legal activities - including those performed by white-collar, middle-class collaborators - are intertwined with and help to facilitate illegal activities in the trafficking realm. Second, such an approach must also understand (and target) the many linkages that exist between and among the various trafficking streams for the shipment of drugs, small arms and light weapons (SALW), chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) materials, counterfeit products, laundered money, and human beings, as well as the way in which control over the transit route for one type of commodity may allow traffickers to control the flow of other goods, both legal and illegal, that pass along the same route. Third, and on a related note, the anti-trafficking community must fully expect, and prepare for the prospect, that illicit traffickers will try to shift their shipments, if at all possible, from route to route - and from one form of transport to another - in order to avoid detection and interception. Closing off one trafficking flow, therefore, may simply trigger the opening of a new route in a less carefully monitored part of the world. Further on this last point, in today's globalized economy, illicit traffickers are increasingly inclined to base their operations in remote and poorly governed areas, where they can conduct business relatively free of outside interference. They appear to be especially partial to what the head of the UN's Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) recently referred to as "geographic blind spots" - that is, largely forgotten areas in failed or failing states that are "out of government control, and too scary for investors and tourists," where radar, satellite, and other forms of surveillance are limited or nonexistent. Operating from such locations, traffickers can run fleets of ships, planes, and trucks loaded with a mix of products with little fear of disruption. Many of these areas, moreover, are burdened with large numbers of unemployed youth who are often all too willing to provide the traffickers with a local workforce that has few alternatives to make money, and is likely to remain compliant. Hence, in addition to better surveillance and interdiction capabilities, any serious effort to stem illicit trafficking must also include a development component aimed at easing (if not eradicating) the socio-economic and political vulnerabilities in "blind spot" territories that traffickers seek to exploit. As suggested above, yet another increasingly important dimension of illicit trafficking to bring under a comprehensive approach is the ever-expanding and more sophisticated use of technology by traffickers. Access to the latest technology, including satellite hook-ups, cell phones, and GPS equipment, is effectively what has empowered loose bands of poor, illiterate Somalis to capture ocean-going vessels operated and/or relied upon by the world's richest and most powerful countries. So, too, cyber crime has allowed traffickers in remote areas to steal the identities of people half a world away, while also facilitating money laundering via lax banks and/or corrupt officials. In the not too distant future, access by traffickers to the technical skills and equipment necessary to handle CBRN-related materials could easily promote a growth in the trade of these key components of weapons of mass destruction (WMD). Getting a better handle on the many ways in which technology is likely to be used by traffickers and their fellow travelers in the years to come, therefore, will require input from a wide array of public- and private-sector technology experts. Equally important, a public-private initiative along these lines holds the best chance of discovering how the anti-trafficking community itself can leverage technology to detect and disrupt smuggling and related crimes. There is also a need for much greater informa eater information sharing between and among anti-trafficking groups with regard to current and emerging trafficking routes, the products and services being trafficked along these routes, the number of traffickers using these routes, and the inter-relationships between and among these traffickers. Closer institutional collaboration on such matters would be particularly helpful within regions (and between adjacent regions) where illicit trafficking is well entrenched, but where intra- and inter-regional cooperation may be hampered by ethnic and sectarian rivalries, unresolved border disputes, and contrasting approaches to law enforcement. Important steps have been taken in this regard, including ongoing efforts to strengthen countersmuggling capabilities along the infamous Great Silk Road via national and IGO support for the Southeast European Cooperative Initiative (SECI) in Romania and the Central Asian Regional Information and Coordination Centre (CARICC) in Kazakhstan. Similar initiatives can and should be pursued in other regions where traffickers now thrive.

Details: Cambridge, MA: Institute for Foreign Policy Analysis, 2010. 202p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed August 8, 2015 at: http://www.sipri.org/research/security/transport/files/existing-good-practice/united-states-4

Year: 2010

Country: International

URL: http://www.sipri.org/research/security/transport/files/existing-good-practice/united-states-4

Shelf Number: 136363

Keywords:
Human Trafficking
Illegal Trade
Illicit Trafficking
Money Laundering
Organized Crime
Smuggling

Author: Farmer, Andrew

Title: Qualitative and monetary analysis of the impacts of environmental crime: Overview

Summary: The survey of data sources within earlier work within EFFACE showed that the data on environmental crime are usually highly dispersed with limited detailed data collations. The most likely sources of consolidated data are international institutions (such as Conventions and the EU). However, even here data are often limited. As a result it is not possible to provide a robust estimate of the overall impacts of environmental crime as a total figure. There are simply too many gaps for this to be done with any confidence. Therefore, it is important to focus on quantifying the impacts of environmental crime in areas where there are sufficient data for this to be done robustly and with confidence. As a result, the quantitative and monetary analysis has been undertaken for the following five subjects: - The impacts of arson events - The impacts of illegal wildlife trade in rhino and elephant - The impacts of marine pollution - The impacts of illegal WEEE shipments from the EU to China - The impacts of illegal wildlife trade in Horsfieldii Tortoise A common framework to guide data collection, analysis and presentation was agreed. This framework involved three analytical steps on the quantitative assessment of levels of illegal activity, the quantitative assessment of the impacts of that illegal activity and the economic valuation of the impacts of the illegal activity. The results identified good examples of information that can be used to understand impacts of environmental crime. The most useful are good, coherent databases with information about the scale of illegal events (a fires database being a clear case). Another is the linking together of good data from different sources, such as that on illegal elephant and rhino poaching and that on population changes - thus enabling conclusions to be drawn on whether the criminal activity is affecting populations in the wild. Data from different types of sources can help paint a picture of different types of impacts (as seen with the waste shipment case). The work had variable success in determining the quantitative impacts of environmental crime. Problems encountered in doing this have included: - Barriers to determining what level of crime is occurring, where, trends, etc. In some cases there is poor recording of criminal events. However, in other cases it may be difficult to distinguish between legal and illegal activity. - Information about impacts may prove difficult to move from anecdotal to quantitative. - Where crime levels are known, the impacts from such crimes may be mixed with those from legal activities, so that distinguishing impacts is difficult. - There is poor monitoring and recording of changes to environmental quality, health, etc., so that quantitative impacts of criminal activities are not known. As a result, for much of the work here, assessments of quantitative impacts are limited to specific areas where there is sufficient data (or data of sufficient confidence) to provide those estimates. The analyses in this study present different approaches to economic analysis. In some cases the quantitative information is insufficient to develop further economic assessments to any degree of confidence. Some used valuations of the natural environment (e.g. on natural capital loss due to poaching) or to health (e.g. for waste shipment). The fires case has sought to estimate the value of assets lost. Several cases have included information on the financial losses and benefits from those engaged in or affected by the illegal activity. In all cases, the economic analysis does not provide a total value for the impact of the type of environmental crime covered, but economic values for specific impacts.

Details: London: Institute for European Environmental Policy, 2015. 22p.

Source: Internet Resource: A study in the framework of the EFFACE research project. Accessed August 21, 2015 at: http://efface.eu/sites/default/files/EFFACE%20D3.2a%20-%20Quantitative%20and%20monetary%20analysis%20-%20overview.pdf

Year: 2015

Country: Europe

URL: http://efface.eu/sites/default/files/EFFACE%20D3.2a%20-%20Quantitative%20and%20monetary%20analysis%20-%20overview.pdf

Shelf Number: 136516

Keywords:
Costs of Crime
Economics of Crime
Environmental Crime
Illegal Trade
Offenses Against the Environment
Wildlife Crime

Author: Sollund, Ragnhild

Title: Illegal wildlife trade: A case study report on the illegal wildlife trade in the United Kingdom, Norway, Colombia and Brazil

Summary: Illegal Wildlife Trade [IWT], commonly positioned alongside the illegal drugs and arms trade and human trafficking, is one of the fastest growing illegal markets worldwide. The clandestine character of the IWT trade, and weak controls and enforcement, make it difficult to measure the scale of the trade, though current estimates suggest it is worth between 6 and 20 billion dollars annually. Growing awareness of the widespread impacts of the IWT has led to increased international attention in recent years, evidenced by the role the United Nations, Interpol, Europol, EU and UK have played in bringing together global leaders and stakeholders to help eradicate the trade. Research suggests the IWT contributes to civil conflict, economic loss, poverty, climate change and negatively impacts on national security and stability, state authority and biodiversity and public health. In particular, the links between the IWT and organised crime and the demise of iconic species has stimulated current international debate. This report provides an overview of a multi-method qualitative research project on the IWT in the UK, Norway, Colombia and Brazil. It identifies common and different features of the IWT in these four locations, exploring the various motivations for why people engage in the trade, the nature of the trade and types of victimisation. An overview of the response to the trade is discussed and evaluated through SWOT analysis - identifying strengths and weaknesses, and proposing suggestions for improvements. The literature review collates the salient issues addressed in relevant academic and official literature, providing a broader context for discussing the findings. The report focuses predominantly on terrestrial fauna. Findings suggest the nature of the IWT in the UK and Norway is similar. Specifically, the type of animal victims, the cost of the trade and offender motivations are consistent. However, when the response to the trade is evaluated, variations appear. Each of the case study countries address the IWT through international convention treaties and domestic legislation and enforcement, though responses are complex and diverse and their effectiveness varies considerably. Central to these variations are levels of awareness of the serious negative consequences of the IWT, political and criminal justice system support and resources, and punishment. Additionally, the integrated role of NGOs in the enforcement process and in developing other responses in the UK contrasts starkly with the insufficient enforcement response evident in Norway, Colombia and Brazil. NGOs play an important role in the UK, Colombia and Brazil in creating awareness and preventing the trade, but are almost nonexistent as stakeholders in Norway. A common theme from interviews in the case study countries is the importance of key personnel working to prevent and respond to the trade. Experts and practitioners alike show us that an effective response is one that is intelligence led, systematic, integrated and synergistic; they cite the importance of cooperation between enforcement agencies and NGOs and the necessity for increased prioritisation of these crimes by criminal justice systems

Details: Oslo: University of Oslo and Treforst, Wales, UK: University of South Wales, 2015. 61p.

Source: Internet Resource: A study compiled as part of the EFFACE project. http://efface.eu/sites/default/files/EFFACE_Illegal%20Wildlife%20Trade_revised.pdf

Year: 2015

Country: International

URL: http://efface.eu/sites/default/files/EFFACE_Illegal%20Wildlife%20Trade_revised.pdf

Shelf Number: 136519

Keywords:
Illegal Trade
Organized Crime
Wildlife Crime
Wildlife Trade

Author: United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research

Title: Developing a Mechanism to Prevent Illicit Brokering in Small Arms and Light Weapons: Scope and Implications

Summary: During the past decade, the problems posed by unregulated arms brokering activities have become an issue of growing concern for governments, international organizations and civil society in the context of international efforts against the illicit trade in small arms and light weapons. An important body of research has brought the role of arms brokers in facilitating arms transfers to unlawful or illegitimate recipients to the fore of the political agenda. Despite their central role in the arms business, the activities of arms brokers are often unregulated. Arms brokers who facilitate unlawful arms transfers are aiding and abetting violators of arms embargoes, armed groups, criminal gangs and terrorists, thus fuelling insecurity and conflict in many regions of the world. A number of regional organizations such as the African Union, the Andean Community, the Economic Community of West African States, the European Union, the Organization of American States, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, and the Southern African Development Community, as well as the states parties to the Wassenaar Arrangement and the states of the Great Lakes Region and the Horn of Africa, have developed instruments and standards for the regulation of brokering activities that the respective member states are encouraged or required to adopt. Such instruments could form the basis of a global effort to curb illicit arms brokering. Partly as an effect of these regional agreements, about 40 countries throughout the world have developed specific controls on brokering activities. In the majority of national legislations, however, brokering activities remain unregulated. In addition, loopholes and inconsistencies in existing systems of control continue to be exploited by unscrupulous brokers. Following the Secretary-General's consultations with all Member States and interested regional and subregional organizations, and recognizing the need for concerted global action, in 2005 the United Nations General Assembly adopted resolution 60/81 establishing a group of governmental experts to consider further steps to enhance international cooperation in preventing, combating and eradicating illicit brokering in small arms and light weapons. This study, conducted under the auspices of the United Nations Coordinating Action on Small Arms (CASA), examines existing instruments at the national and international levels. It aims to identify common elements and options for regulation, to enhance understanding of the issue and to clarify its most complex aspects.

Details: Geneva, SWIT: UNIDIR, 2006. 219p.

Source: Internet Resource: accessed August 24, 2015 at: http://ipisresearch.be/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/ChaptersBrokeringNov06.fm_.pdf

Year: 2006

Country: International

URL: http://ipisresearch.be/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/ChaptersBrokeringNov06.fm_.pdf

Shelf Number: 136568

Keywords:
Illegal Arms Transfers
Illegal Trade
Organized Crime
Trafficking in Weapons

Author: Derghougassian, Khatchik

Title: Illicit Associations in the Global Political Economy: Courtesan Politics, Arms Trafficking and International Security

Summary: The accelerated trend of globalization has transformed the traditional role of the state. According to James Mittelman and Robert Johnston, the state is engaged in a courtesan role, which consists in shifting from serving citizens to acting as tacit partners in market relations, including with globally organized criminal groups. Building on the concept of the courtesan role of the state, this study addresses: (a) the general question of direct and indirect connections of states with illicit transactions in the post-Cold War, with a special attention to arms trafficking; (b) the reaction of the United States, as the remaining unique superpower, to the behavior of states associated with global illicit transactions, especially when involving security-sensitive cases such as arms transfer; (c) the security implications of this particular feature of the global illicit economy, particularly how threats are defined in international politics in the post-Cold War unipolar world. Focusing on the Argentina venta de armas case of illicit arms transfer to the Balkans and Ecuador in the 1990s, the research explores (a) the structural conditions and the domestic roots of a state engaged in illegal transactions in the post-Cold War; (b) the superpower's reaction to policies involving illicit transactions; (c) the security consequences. Through these venues, the dissertation aims at refining the debate in IR Theory to provide a better understanding of the international security dynamics in the post-Cold War.

Details: Coral Gables, FL: University of Miami, 2010. 584p.

Source: Internet Resource: Dissertation: Accessed August 28, 2015 at: http://scholarlyrepository.miami.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1466&context=oa_dissertations

Year: 2010

Country: International

URL: http://scholarlyrepository.miami.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1466&context=oa_dissertations

Shelf Number: 136618

Keywords:
Illegal Trade
Organized Crime
Trafficking in Weapons

Author: Nan, Jiang

Title: A Crime Pattern Analysis of the Illegal Ivory Trade in China

Summary: The illegal ivory trade fuels illegal elephant poaching in both Africa and Asia. The illegal ivory trade in China is considered a key threat to the survival of the elephant species: since 2009, China has become the largest illegal ivory market in the world. Although China has uncovered a great number of cases of illegal ivory trade with the seizure of illegal ivory in the past decade, this trade is still growing. A deeper understanding of the nature and patterns of illegal ivory trade through an analysis of ivory seizure data should improve the efficiency of efforts to prevent the illegal ivory trade in China. This paper analyses data on 106 seizures of illegal ivory that was collected from Chinese news reports between 1999 and 2014, with a particular focus on its frequency and illegal trade 'hotspot' locations in China. The analysis found three illegal ivory trade cycles (2001-2005, 2006-2010, and 2011-2014) and four hotspots. Preventing the illegal ivory trade will require more international cooperation and coordination between China and other countries.

Details: Acton, ACT, AUS: Transnational Environmental Crime Project, Australian National University, 2015. 17p.

Source: Internet Research: TEC Project Working Paper 1/2015: Accessed October 19, 2015 at: http://ips.cap.anu.edu.au/sites/default/files/IPS/IR/TEC/TEC%20Working%20Paper%201-2015.pdf

Year: 2015

Country: China

URL: http://ips.cap.anu.edu.au/sites/default/files/IPS/IR/TEC/TEC%20Working%20Paper%201-2015.pdf

Shelf Number: 136999

Keywords:
Animal Poaching
Crime Analysis
Crime Hotspots
Elephants
Illegal Trade
Ivory
Wildlife Crime
Wildlife Trade

Author: United Nations Economic Commission for Africa

Title: Tracking and Certification of Mineral Output in Southern Africa

Summary: The illegal exploitation of minerals and fraudulent manipulation of the volume or the value of exported minerals are enduring challenges for producing countries in Southern Africa. Illegal exploitation of minerals in particular has regularly been linked to instability and conflict in the region. There have been calls for effective mechanisms for regulating the exploitation and movement of the minerals. Regulation of the mining industry in Southern Africa is quite challenging partly because of its history and partly because of its nature. Some of the mineral exploitation occurs in areas with difficult access either because of conflict or because of the nature of the terrain. This makes it difficult to verify any declarations of output issued from such areas. The estimated yield of each mine is based on the scientific analysis of samples collected at various stages of mineral processing. Intimately connected to the prospects for development, the mining industry is also capital intensive and taxing on the personnel and equipment of various stakeholders, including corporate institutions and Governments. This study was conducted against the backdrop of the commitment by SADC member States to gather information on the identity, origin and volume of SADC mineral output in order to develop standardized mechanisms for tracking and certification. This was motivated by the growing conviction within the region that the mineral value chains were being undermined by leakages through neighbouring countries. Gold is said to be illegally imported from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) into Kenya, Burundi and Uganda and re-exported further. Limited benefit accrues to the DRC as a result of the process. Diamonds are said to be illegally imported from Zimbabwe into Mozambique and South Africa for onward exportation. Similar allegations are heard about illegal tin, coltan and woframite which are exported through Rwanda. Monitoring mineral value streams in the producing countries is complicated by the large informal small-scale mining sector active within them. There are also concerns about such practices as transfer pricing by large-scale mining conglomerates taking advantage of intra-group agreements involving the holding companies based in low tax jurisdictions and the subsidiaries based in the region. Transfer pricing abuses take various forms, including over- or under-invoicing of exports and imports, overloading of costs onto the subsidiary, service contracts and intra-group loans. Through such agreements, the holding companies are able to transfer income and allocate costs in a hidden manner that unfairly favours them. These malpractices reduce revenue which would have accrued to the producing States, thus exacerbating poverty amidst a rich natural resources heritage - the so-called 'paradox of plenty!' (UNECA, 2010). The SADC Mining Protocol was adopted in September 1997 by twelve member States and came into force in February 2000. The SADC Mining Sector Co-coordinating Unit (SMSCU), under the previous SADC structure, promoted adoption of the Mining Protocol. The Protocol recognizes that a 'thriving mining sector can contribute to economic development, alleviation of poverty and the improvement of the standard and quality of life throughout the Region.' In principle, the SADC Protocol seeks to'harmonize national and regional policies, strategies and programmes related to the development and exploitation of mineral resources.' In this spirit, SADC aims to develop and adopt common mineral certification standards, in accordance with internationally acceptable standards, in order to minimize illegal trade in minerals and thereby optimize the benefits to member States. SADC member States intend to 'adopt policies that encourage the exploration for and commercial exploitation of mineral resources by the private sector.' Furthermore, the Protocol seeks to facilitate the development of small-scale mining through, among other initiatives, the establishment of marketing facilities, including exhibitions and mineral exchanges. The study on which this report is based proposes a tracking and certification regime that is motivated by the above tenets. It suggests that the same goals that motivated the formulation and adoption of a tracking and certification system for diamonds in Guyana could be adapted by SADC. The key points are: (a) To provide reliable data to States on producer, exporter and purchaser behaviour; (b) To ensure the payment of the royalties and taxes due to the State; (c) To strengthen the State's oversight function along the mineral value chain; and (d) To prevent the mixing of minerals that are lawfully produced and/or acquired with illicitly produced and/or acquired ones in order to reduce illegal trade in minerals and consequently increase legal revenue flows through legal trade at both the national and subregional levels. The Kimberley Process Certification System (KCPS) was prompted by the concern summed up in (d), specifically that lawful output could and, in several demonstrable instances, had been contaminated by rough diamonds originating from zones of conflict. The study on which this report is based concerns minerals other than diamonds. Since some of them, like emeralds, share many characteristics with diamonds, the study borrows some lessons from the KCPS. The scope of the study determined by the terms of reference, namely: (i) To assess legislation and licensing procedures relating to mining, sale and transportation of minerals to overseas markets and their effectiveness in preventing fraudulent trade in mineral commodities; (ii) To examine national technical reporting requirements for mining and export of SADC mineral products and their efficacy in providing needed data for preventing fraudulent trade in mineral commodities; (iii) To review national, regional and international systems for tracking and certifying mineral products and make proposals for a possible tracking and certification system that would ensure an effective product audit trail of SADC minerals; (iv) To examine export documents and regulations and recommend how they might be adjusted to form part of the certification audit trail; (v) To examine customs conventions and formalities to assess how these might affect the formulation and application of rules of origin for a SADC-wide certificate of origin for SADC mineral products; and (vi) To assess current regional integration efforts in trade and how these might help or hinder the development of a SADC certificate of origin for mineral products. The study considered prevailing legislation and licensing procedures in several countries in order to assess their effectiveness in preventing fraud in the trade of minerals. It found that most national legislation did not prioritize this objective, and could not be considered effective in preventing the most pernicious form of illegality in minerals marketing, namely transfer pricing. It found that a tracking regime on its own is not the appropriate vehicle for policing transfer pricing, and that this could be better done by combining centralization of the marketing of minerals and creating incentives for localized beneficiation of mineral output.

Details: Addis Ababa: United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, Subregional Office Southern Africa, 2014. 54p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 20, 2015 at: http://www.uneca.org/sites/default/files/PublicationFiles/tracking-and-certification-of-mineral-output-in-southern-africa.pdf

Year: 2014

Country: Africa

URL: http://www.uneca.org/sites/default/files/PublicationFiles/tracking-and-certification-of-mineral-output-in-southern-africa.pdf

Shelf Number: 137044

Keywords:
Crime Prevention
Illegal Markets
Illegal Trade
Kimberley Process
Metal Theft
Mineral Theft
Mining
Theft of Natural Resources

Author: Phelps, Jacob

Title: A Blooming Trade: Illegal trade of ornamental orchids in mainland Southeast Asia

Summary: A thriving and illegal trade in Southeast Asia's threatened and rare orchids is going largely unnoticed in Thailand and across its borders, says a joint study by TRAFFIC and the Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR). Conservative trade figures documented during the study suggest that tens of thousands of orchids are illegally traded across Thailand's borders every year without either domestic harvest permits or Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) permits, violating range State and international restrictions on wild orchid harvest. Surveys during 2011-2012 in four of the largest wild plant markets in Thailand and at the country's borders with Myanmar and Lao PDR recorded 348 species of orchid for sale, representing 13 to 22 percent of the target countries' known orchid flora. The survey even found species from the genus Paphiopedilum, all of which are listed in Appendix I of CITES, which bans the international trade of wild-collected specimens. At least 16 percent of the orchid species observed could be classified under some category of threat or were species found only in small or specific areas. Several of the orchids first found in the markets were new to science.

Details: Selangor, Malaysia: TRAFFIC Southeast Asia Regional Office, 2015. 70p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed November 28, 2015 at: http://static1.1.sqspcdn.com/static/f/157301/26694012/1448362157923/A+blooming+trade+Report+_+17th+Nov_FINAL.pdf?token=X1gfjLR63Rn7hCMHSQu4UiRKPhM%3D

Year: 2015

Country: Asia

URL: http://static1.1.sqspcdn.com/static/f/157301/26694012/1448362157923/A+blooming+trade+Report+_+17th+Nov_FINAL.pdf?token=X1gfjLR63Rn7hCMHSQu4UiRKPhM%3D

Shelf Number: 137364

Keywords:
Endangered Species
Illegal Trade
Orchids
Wild Fauna and Flora
Wildlife Crime

Author: KPMG

Title: Project Star: 2012 Results

Summary: KPMG has conducted a study on the illicit cigarette consumption in the European Union, every year since 2006, as part of the Cooperation Agreement between Philip Morris International, the European Union and the EU Member States. For the first time in 2013, the study was commissioned by all four major tobacco manufacturers - British American Tobacco plc (BAT), Imperial Tobacco plc (Imperial), Japan Tobacco International (JTI) and Philip Morris International Inc. (PMI). In the first years of the study, "illicit whites" did not have a significant presence in the EU and therefore were not analyzed in detail. In the years that followed and as these products became increasingly present in the illicit cigarette market, KPMG has analyzed past data and has estimated that "illicit whites" represented 0.1 billion cigarettes in 2006 and 2.6 billion cigarettes in 2007

Details: London: KPMG, 2013. 234p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed January 14, 2016 at: http://www.pmi.com/eng/media_center/media_kit/Documents/Project_Star_2012_Final_Report.pdf

Year: 2013

Country: Europe

URL: http://www.pmi.com/eng/media_center/media_kit/Documents/Project_Star_2012_Final_Report.pdf

Shelf Number: 137577

Keywords:
Black Markets
Contraband Cigarettes
Contraband Tobacco
Illegal Cigarettes (Europe)
Illegal Tobacco
Illegal Trade

Author: Knights, Peter

Title: The Illusion of Control: Hong Kong's 'Legal' Ivory Trade

Summary: For more than a century, Hong Kong has been a hub for the global ivory trade. Due to the region's high overall trade volumes, easy access to mainland China, and lax regulation and supervision, this role continues, despite the 1989 international commercial ivory trade ban. Hong Kong has been the gateway through which the tusks of hundreds of thousands of poached elephants have been laundered - first en route to Japan, and more recently, to China. Officials claiming to regulate the trade provide a facade of legitimacy while making no physical link between the ivory itself and the paper trail with which they legitimize it. In short, Hong Kong has been the ivory poacher's and smuggler's laundry. At the time of the 1989 ban, Hong Kong held 670 tonnes of ivory, much of it highly dubious in origin and laundered through the discredited quota system under the UN Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). Rather than set a deadline for selling off this stock and closely monitoring its disbursement, Hong Kong's Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD), the government agency charged with implementing CITES, has continued to allow unregulated sales for 26 years, making no meaningful checks to ensure the ivory is from the original stock and not from recently poached elephants. Traders admit they routinely replenish stocks with newly poached ivory, as there is no system to connect any individual tusk or ivory product to required documentation. Essentially, the AFCD has provided unlimited license to launder poached ivory. Nearly all of Hong Kong's ivory vendors flout even the most basic regulation: the requirement that vendors clearly display licenses in their stores. In international meetings, AFCD officials have defended - and even promoted - continued domestic trade, insisting that its system is airtight, when in fact nothing could be further from the truth. It's clear that the AFCD lacks the resources, capability and desire to monitor the ivory trade, even superficially. Though long-term sales trends indicate that Hong Kong's stockpile should have been exhausted around 2004, 111.3 tonnes remain unsold, a figure that has barely changed in recent years, when demand for ivory has been the highest-ever, fueled by mainland China's economic growth. A recent study indicated that over 90% of the ivory sold in Hong Kong is purchased by tourists from the mainland (47 million visited in 2014), with unscrupulous vendors coaching them on how to successfully evade detection when smuggling it back to China. According to the latest figures, up to 33,000 elephants are poached each year for their ivory. In a recent poll, 75% of the Hong Kong public interviewed supported a ban on ivory sales. China and the United States recently announced a joint commitment to ending all commercial ivory sales - a move that is undermined by Hong Kong's ongoing laundering and illegal exports.

Details: San Francisco: WildAid, 2015. 16p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 2, 2016 at: http://www.wildaid.org/sites/default/files/resources/The%20Illusion%20of%20Control-Full%20Report.pdf

Year: 2015

Country: Hong Kong

URL: http://www.wildaid.org/sites/default/files/resources/The%20Illusion%20of%20Control-Full%20Report.pdf

Shelf Number: 137738

Keywords:
Animal Poaching
Elephants
Endangered Species
Illegal Trade
Illegal Wildlife Trade
Ivory
Wildlife Crime
Wildlife Smuggling

Author: Grantham, David

Title: Shutting Down ISIS' Antiquities Trade

Summary: The attacks in Paris and San Bernardino, California, reminded the world that the so-called Islamic State in Iraq and Syria is at war with western civilization. The U.S. government desperately needs a more comprehensive strategy for combating this threat than simply drone warfare and piecemeal deployments of "specialized expeditionary targeting forces." And a top priority of a new, broader campaign should be the destruction of ISIS' financial networks. ISIS and Antiquities. ISIS poses a national security threat to the United States primarily because of the resources it commands. The organization boasts an impressive network of revenue streams, ranging from oil proceeds and racketeering profits to money seized from local banks. But ISIS also profits from its lucrative trade in pilfered Roman, Greek, and other antiquities found in Syria and northern Iraq. This lucrative operation presents a national security dilemma because it helps fund ISIS's international war machine. The U.S. government and international bodies have tried in the past to undermine the global trade in looted antiquities by international conventions that disallow signatory countries from participating in the theft and transportation of looted antiquities. But the illegal antiquities market remains notoriously difficult to regulate. Moreover, officials often treat the illegal antiquities trade as a victimless crime run by criminal organizations. Few acknowledge the definitive links between illegal antiquities and terrorism. The challenges of enforcement and lack of attention keeps the market for illicit antiquities strong. This Is Not a Recent Phenomenon. During World War II, Nazis looted public and private collections from across Europe. Looters reaffirmed the importance of the antiquities market by ransacking regional museums in Iraq in the wake of the First Gulf War. Between the end of the war in 1991, and 1994, eleven museums lost 3,000 artifacts and 484 manuscripts to theft. A majority have yet to be recovered. Years later, the Taliban earned a reputation as a broker of Afghan antiquities, even though it spent enormous time and energy destroying historical landmarks throughout the country. Al Qaeda was also involved in the trade. In 1999, Mohamed Atta, who piloted the plane that crashed into Tower Two of the World Trade Center, tried to sell Afghan antiquities to a German university professor. Atta "claimed that he was selling artifacts in order to purchase an airplane." The Iraqi museums looted after the U.S.-led invasion in 2003 only reiterated the national security implications surrounding unprotected antiquities. As of 2008, authorities have only recovered about 6,000 of the 15,000 items stolen. Experts fear that Al-Qaeda offshoots like ISIS are today selling some of the unaccounted for antiquities to fund their terrorist operations.

Details: Dallas, TX: National Center for Policy Analysis, 2016. 4p.

Source: Internet Resource: Issue Brief No. 185: http://www.ncpa.org/pdfs/ib185.pdf

Year: 2016

Country: International

URL: http://www.ncpa.org/pdfs/ib185.pdf

Shelf Number: 137760

Keywords:
Antiquities
Illegal Trade
ISIS
Islamic State
National Security
Terrorism
Terrorist Financing

Author: Felbab-Brown, Vanda

Title: Enabling war and peace: Drugs, logs, gems, and wildlife in Thailand and Burma

Summary: In this policy paper, Vanda Felbab-Brown explores the relationship between conflict, peace dynamics, and drugs and other illicit economies in Thailand and Myanmar/Burma since the 1960s through the current period. In both cases, drugs and other illicit economies fueled insurgencies and ethnic separatism. Yet both Myanmar and Thailand are in different ways (controversial) exemplars of how to suppress conflict in the context of the drugs-conflict nexus. They both show that the central premise of the narcoinsurgency/narcoterrorism conventional approach - in order to defeat militants, bankrupt them by destroying the illicit drug economy on which they rely - was ineffective and counterproductive. At the same time, however, in both Thailand and Myanmar, recent anti-drug policies have either generated new hidden violent social conflict or threaten to unravel the fragile ethnic peace. The leading research finding and policy implications are: While illicit economies fuel conflict, their suppression is often counterproductive for ending conflict and can provoke new forms of conflict. Prioritization and sequencing of government efforts to end conflict and reduce illicit economies is crucial. So is recognizing that suppressing poppy at the cost of exacerbating logging or wildlife trafficking is not an adequate policy outcome. Learning the right lessons is acutely important for Burma/Myanmar, which, after the overwhelming victory of the National League for Democracy (NLD), led by Aung Sang Suu Kyi in the November 2015 elections, is entering a new political order and a new phase in peace negotiations with ethnic separatist groups. Although the Myanmar military will not give up its influence on the ethnic peace processes, Aung San Suu Kyi and the NLD will become far more involved in the negotations, having drawn important support from the contested ethnic areas allowed to participate in the election. At the same time, the NLD and Suu Kyi (whatever her formal title in the new government will be) will need to carefully structure and calibrate their relationships with external donors and trading partners, such as China and the United States, many of which will seek to shape policies toward drugs and other extractive and illegal economies, including logging, mining, and wildlife trafficking.

Details: Washington, DC: Center for East Asia Policy Studies at Brookings, 2015. 41p.

Source: Internet Resource: East Asia Policy Paper 7: Accessed February 8, 2016 at: http://www.brookings.edu/~/media/research/files/papers/2015/12/thailand-burma-drugs-wildlife-felbabbrown/policy-paper-7--webv5.pdf

Year: 2015

Country: Thailand

URL: http://www.brookings.edu/~/media/research/files/papers/2015/12/thailand-burma-drugs-wildlife-felbabbrown/policy-paper-7--webv5.pdf

Shelf Number: 137783

Keywords:
Illegal Trade
Trafficking in Wildlife
Wild Animal Trade
Wildlife Crimes
Wildlife Smuggling

Author: INTERPOL. Office of Legal Affairs

Title: Countering Illicit Trade in Goods: A Guide for Policy-Makers

Summary: Illicit trade in goods is of growing concern internationally, and one of the greatest law enforcement challenges to date. It has various manifestations, involves many different actors and affects several interests at the same time. It is a high profit activity, the reason for its allure. While illicit trade has specific features, depending on the goods and the methods employed, calling for the adoption of targeted legal measures by States, one common denominator is the involvement of criminal organizations. These are often highly sophisticated, flexible structures, able to quickly adapt to market changes and grab new criminal opportunities. They resort to corruption and money laundering as the chief means of conducting their illicit trade business and re-introducing proceeds into the legal economy. They act transnationally by exploiting a global environment which encourages the free circulation of goods. This handbook presented by the INTERPOL Office of Legal Affairs is the first publication in its Legal Handbook Series. The aim of these publications is to provide a solid and thorough overview of illicit trade thereby guiding the reader through the applicable international legal frameworks and offering pioneering legal solutions. The Legal Handbook Series was developed to assist policy-makers in INTERPOL's member countries to design effective national strategies against illicit trade. Given the complexity of the problem, solutions are not easily arrived at in isolation. Working with other specialized agencies and optimizing the use of available expertise and resources has been a priority, ensuring the accuracy and relevance of the analysis. Hence this handbook is the result of close collaboration with various international organizations that have significantly contributed to it by providing their perspectives.

Details: Paris: INTERPOL, 2014. 260p.

Source: Internet Resource: Legal Handbook Series: Accessed February 25, 2016 at: www.interpol.int

Year: 2014

Country: International

URL: www.Interpol.int

Shelf Number: 137978

Keywords:
Illegal Trade
Illicit Goods
Illicit Trade
Organized crime

Author: Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)

Title: Illicit Trade: Converging Criminal Networks

Summary: Illicit trade is a worldwide phenomenon. Globalisation has provided opportunities for criminal networks to expand the scope and scale of their operations, with serious negative consequences for the economy, the environment and society. Illicit trade also undermines good governance, the rule of law and citizens' trust in government, and can ultimately threaten political stability. This report provides analysis of some of the main areas of illicit trade, including trafficking in persons, wildlife, counterfeit medicines, narcotics, tobacco, alcohol and sports betting. It looks at what drives and facilitates such activity, estimates the volume of trade and amount of revenue it generates, maps the pathways of illicit goods from production to consumer, describes the shortcomings of current policies for reducing or deterring illicit trade, and suggests avenues for improvement. Understanding illicit trade It is important to clearly define and measure illicit trade, and understand the context that allows it to flourish. However, countries - and sometimes regions within countries - do not always agree on what goods can be legally traded, and there is even greater variance in the application of quality standards and the protection of intellectual property rights. These differences can make cross-country measurement of illicit trade as a whole very difficult, which is why this report takes a sectoral approach. Our increasingly interconnected economies and societies have allowed organized crime to expand alongside the exponential growth in legitimate international trade. Criminal networks exploit differences in regulatory and tax regimes to move goods and services across borders. While exact measurements can be difficult given the clandestine nature of illicit transactions, one estimate puts the profits of international organised crime as high as USD 870 billion, or 1.5% of global GDP. Calculating and tracking the money made from these activities is important as it can provide crucial information to law enforcement. More data and information sharing is needed to develop a clearer understanding of illicit trade and how to combat it. A more holistic view of the cost of illicit trade also takes into account its harmful impacts on consumers, the environment, tax revenues and jobs. Traffic in humans and narcotics, for example, also exact a very heavy social toll. Illicit trade can also be closely linked to criminal violence and terrorism. Costs in terms of law enforcement, incarceration and rehabilitation should also be taken into account. Finally, illicit trade can cause longer-term damage to the rule of law, public trust, human capital and public health, as well as deter foreign investment. Trafficking in persons According to estimates by the International Labour Organisation (ILO), 20.9 million people are forced into slavery worldwide causing immense, long-term damage to individuals, communities, and nations. Trafficked persons tend to flow from poorer regions to richer regions and from conflict regions to more stable regions. Governments need to give priority to implementing laws for preventing trafficking, protecting victims and prosecuting both traffickers and the corrupt public officials who assist them. Illicit trade in wildlife Demand for elephant ivory and rhino horn has driven dramatic growth in illegal wildlife markets in recent years due primarily to a growing consumer base in East Asia. Taken together, all forms of wildlife trafficking constitutes one of the most lucrative forms of illicit trade, and the sector has more than doubled since 2007. Monitoring and enforcement in source countries can be effective means to reduce poaching, but training and information systems are needed to build adequate capacity. Counterfeit medicines The trade in counterfeit medicine is a huge industry, generating as much as USD 200 billion a year in tangible goods alone according to OECD's study of 2005 data, which is soon to be updated. It has a direct negative impact on health, depriving users of appropriate treatment and contributing to global microbial resistance. Pharmaceutical companies also suffer a loss in revenue and reputation, and increased costs for security. Successfully combatting counterfeiting will require more extensive information sharing across agencies and nations. Finally, the development and adoption of an international public health treaty would be a significant step toward protecting patients and public health globally. Tobacco products The illicit trade in tobacco is perhaps the most widespread and most documented sector in the shadow economy. It has been estimated that 570 billion illicit cigarettes were consumed worldwide in 2011. Illicit tobacco is an important source of revenue for criminal networks, and deprives government services of excise tax revenues at the same time. To counter the illicit trade in tobacco products, governments developing a multifaceted approach, including: building partnerships, increasing data validity and reliability, launching educational and public awareness campaigns, increasing capacity-building efforts, and prioritising countering illicit tobacco products and its associated crimes. Narcotics The global narcotics trade is thought to be the single largest black market in the world, and is a source of revenue for international criminal organization. In addition to the negative impact on human health and well-being caused by the narcotics themselves, the criminal violence that accompanies all aspects of drug trafficking erodes state institutions and is often difficult to reverse. Tackling the narcotics trade effectively will require not only punitive approaches and sanctions but also state building, economic development and good governance practices. Alcohol It is estimated that billions of dollars from trafficking and illegal trade in alcoholic beverages flow through the global economy each year, distorting local economies, diminishing government and legitimate business revenues, and in some cases posing a serious health risk to consumers. It is estimated that illicit sources account for 25% of total worldwide adult alcoholic consumption. Contributing factors include the higher cost of legal products from taxes, weak laws, lack of enforcement and social acceptance of contraband in some countries. Sports manipulation The globalisation of sports has led to an increase in unregulated sports betting, which is increasingly used for money laundering and has been connected to corruption in sports (match-rigging). An internationally co-ordinated, pro-active response is needed, including initiatives targeting bettors and offenders, police action and co-operation with financial institutions. It is also important to communicate on the subject of sports integrity to all stakeholders, including the public and the media.

Details: Paris: OECD, 2015. 259p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 5, 2016 at: http://www.oecd.org/gov/risk/illicit-trade-converging-criminal-networks.pdf

Year: 2014

Country: International

URL: http://www.oecd.org/gov/risk/illicit-trade-converging-criminal-networks.pdf

Shelf Number: 138115

Keywords:
Counterfeit Medicines
Criminal Networks
Drug Trafficking
Human Trafficking
Illegal Trade
Illicit Tobacco
Illicit Trade
Organized Crime
Sports Betting
Wildlife Crime

Author: Miklaucic, Michael

Title: Convergence: Illicit Networks and National Security in the Age of Globalization

Summary: Acceleration. Magnification. Diffusion. Entropy. Empowerment. The global environment and the international system are evolving at hypervelocity. A consensus is emerging among policymakers, scholars, and practitioners that recent sweeping developments in information technology, communication, transportation, demographics, and conflict are making global governance more challenging. Some argue these developments have transformed our international system, making it more vulnerable than ever to the predations of terrorists and This view continues to dominate mindsets within the U.S. national security community. It fails to fully appreciate the growing power of nonstate actors and adversaries, or the magnitude of the threat they pose and the harm they impose on the international system itself. It underappreciates the possibility - indeed likelihood - of the convergence, whether for convenience or growing ambition, of criminal, terrorist, and even insurgent networks. More important even than insufficient recognition of the efficacy of these adversaries is the absence of a plan to counter the threat they pose to both national security and the international state system. In short, this view does not see the big picture - the long view of the declining robustness and resilience of the global system of nation-states that has been dominant for centuries, and the unprecedented attacks on that system. The failure of that system - in which we and so many have prospered beyond belief or precedent in history - would be a catastrophic and existential loss. Global trends and developments - including dramatically increased trade volumes and velocity, the growth of cyberspace, and population growth, among others - have facilitated the growth of violent nonstate actors, the strengthening of organized crime, and the emergence of a new set of transcontinental supply chains as well as the expansion of existing illicit markets. The resourcefulness, adaptability, innovativeness, and ability of illicit networks to circumvent countermeasures make them formidable foes for national governments and international organizations alike. Their increasing convergence gives them ever-improved ability to evade official countermeasures and overcome logistical challenges as well as ever better tools for exploiting weaknesses and opportunities within the state system, and attacking that system. Since illicit actors have expanded their activities throughout the global commons, in the land, sea, air, and cyber domains, nations must devise comprehensive and multidimensional strategies and policies to combat the complex transnational threats posed by these illicit networks. This book is an attempt to map the terrain of this emerging battlespace; it describes the scope of the security threat confronting the United States and the international community from transnational criminal organizations and what is being done to combat that threat - from the strategic level with the release, in July 2011, of the U.S. Government's Strategy to Combat Transnational Organized Crime: Addressing Converging Threats to National Security and, in April 2011, of the Department of Defense (DOD) Counternarcotics and Global Threats Strategy - to the operational level with increased regional partnerships and dialogues. criminals. Others argue that despite this significant evolution, organized crime, transnational terrorism, and nonstate networks have been endemic if unpleasant features of human society throughout history, that they represent nothing new, and that our traditional means of countering them - primarily conventional law enforcement - are adequate. Even among those who perceive substantial differences in the contemporary manifestations of these persistent maladies, they are viewed as major nuisances not adding up to a significant national or international security threat, much less an existential threat.

Details: Washington, DC: National Defense University Press, 2013. 304p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 5, 2016 at: http://ndupress.ndu.edu/Portals/68/Documents/Books/convergence.pdf

Year: 2013

Country: International

URL: http://ndupress.ndu.edu/Portals/68/Documents/Books/convergence.pdf

Shelf Number: 131162

Keywords:
Criminal Networks
Illegal Trade
Illicit Markets
Illicit Trade
National Security
Organized Crime
Terrorism

Author: Schroeder, Matt

Title: Dribs and Drabs: The Mechanics of Small Arms Trafficking

Summary: There are over 550 million firearms in worldwide circulation. That's one firearm for every 12 people on the planet. The only question is: How do we arm the other 11? (Lord of War, 2005) This iconic line from the 2005 film Lord of War conveys widely held assumptions about international arms traffickers: that they are ambitious, well-connected, globe-trotting entrepreneurs who single-handedly arm criminals and militias throughout the world. The film's fictional protagonist, Yuri Orlov, is based on five actual arms dealers, including Russian businessman Viktor Bout, whose vast global network of shell companies and unsavoury clients earned him the moniker 'the Merchant of Death' (Gilchrist, 2005). The composite image of Bout and his peers has become the archetypal arms trafficker, the image that comes to mind whenever the illicit arms trade is discussed. Yet most arms traffickers bear little resemblance to that image. The 'merchants of death' do indeed fuel conflicts and stock the arsenals of dictators, but there is little evidence to suggest that they dominate the illicit arms trade. Most arms trafficking is less flashy, less centralized, and even more difficult to stop. The following Issue Brief analyses this side of the illicit small arms trade, which receives far less attention than the multi-ton shipments arranged by rogue brokers.

Details: Geneva, SWIT: Small Arms Survey, 2016. 16p.

Source: Internet Resource: Issue Brief: Accessed March 16, 2016 at: http://www.smallarmssurvey.org/fileadmin/docs/G-Issue-briefs/SAS-IB17-Mechanics-of-trafficking.pdf

Year: 2016

Country: International

URL: http://www.smallarmssurvey.org/fileadmin/docs/G-Issue-briefs/SAS-IB17-Mechanics-of-trafficking.pdf

Shelf Number: 138305

Keywords:
Firearms Trafficking
Illegal trade
Illicit Trade
Smuggling of Weapons
Trafficking in Weapons

Author: Wu, Joyce

Title: Humphead (Napoleon) Wrasse Cheilinus undulatus trade into and through Hong Kong

Summary: Market surveys in Hong Kong and mainland China have revealed the large scale of illegal and unreported trade in Humphead Wrasse despite the introduction of regulatory measures in 2005. The Humphead Wrasse is a large, naturally rare, slow growing and high value reef fish that is usually traded live and consumed as a delicacy particularly in Hong Kong and mainland China, along with various other reef fish such as groupers and other wrasses. The study, Humphead (Napoleon) Wrasse Cheilinus undulatus trade into and through Hong Kong was published by TRAFFIC and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Grouper and Wrasse Specialist Group (GWSG) and funded by the Secretariat of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) and The University of Hong Kong. In 2005, the Humphead Wrasse was listed in Appendix II of CITES, in order to regulate its international trade to sustainable levels through the issuing of export permits by source countries, while Hong Kong also requires import permits for CITES II listed species. According to UNEP-WCMC data, the official global database for trade in CITES-listed species, Indonesia and Malaysia are the main exporters of Humphead Wrasse, although only Indonesia currently issues CITES export permits; Malaysia set its export quotas for live Humphead Wrasse to zero in 2010 and for all Humphead Wrasse to zero in 2015. Traders also told the report's authors that significant numbers of Humphead Wrasse are sourced from the Philippines, as also claimed by a number of e-commerce websites. However, according to the CITES trade data only three live fish have been exported from the Philippines. An official CITES document tabled in 2010 identified Hong Kong and mainland China as the principal destinations for Humphead Wrasse, and although no trade between the two is reported to CITES, it is recorded by Hong Kong's AFCD. Despite this lack of reported trade involving mainland China, surveys by the report's authors of physical seafood markets in Shenzhen in May and June 2015 and e-commerce websites found at least 15 companies claiming to sell live, chilled or frozen Humphead Wrasse, 12 of them located in mainland China. In Hong Kong, monthly surveys of the three biggest fish markets carried out by a team from Hong Kong University during the study recorded a total of 1,197 live Humphead Wrasse between November 2014 and December 2015. There is usually a short turnaround time (around two weeks) between import and sale of live Humphead Wrasse, making it highly unlikely that those observed on sale had been imported in earlier years. Figures obtained from Hong Kong's Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department, Hong Kong's CITES Management Authority, showed the import of just 150 Humphead Wrasse during the whole of 2014. However, more than that total, 157, were observed by the University team during November and December 2014 alone.

Details: Hong Kong: TRAFFIC, 2016. 44p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 21, 2016 at: http://static1.1.sqspcdn.com/static/f/157301/26918241/1458157598657/Humphead-Wrasse-Hong-Kong-trade.pdf?token=oqIRqOqDbkxaCMmq11C1FTGP7nU%3D

Year: 2016

Country: Hong Kong

URL: http://static1.1.sqspcdn.com/static/f/157301/26918241/1458157598657/Humphead-Wrasse-Hong-Kong-trade.pdf?token=oqIRqOqDbkxaCMmq11C1FTGP7nU%3D

Shelf Number: 138345

Keywords:
Endangered Species
Fisheries
Illegal Trade
Whales
Wildlife Crimes
Wildlife Trade

Author: Lo, Cheryl

Title: The Hard Truth: How Hong Kong's Ivory Trade is Fuelling Africa's Elephant Poaching Crisis

Summary: In recent years, the global illegal wildlife trade has exploded, expanding to meet vastly increased demand for wild animal products. Underpinned by crime syndicates, wildlife is trafficked in the same way as drugs or weapons: it is now the fourth-largest illicit trade, valued at over US$ 19 billion annually. Of grave concern to WWF is the effect of this trade on elephants - over 30,000 are killed every year in Africa, primarily for their tusks. The majority of the illegal ivory harvested is sent to Asian markets, particularly China and Thailand, with Hong Kong playing a key role in this trade. Hong Kong currently has a legal stockpile of ivory taken from wild elephants, amassed before African elephants were listed under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) and enacted in local legislation in 1990. Today, Hong Kong ivory traders claim to conduct their business by using this stockpile from 25 years ago. The current size of this stockpile is 111.3 tonnes and it lies in the possession of over 400 license holders. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Illegal ivory is accessible in Hong Kong. The city ranks fifth globally in terms of the quantity of ivory seized - over 33 tonnes have been confiscated since 2000. A recorded conversation with an ivory trader revealed that a buyer in Hong Kong can make a "purchase order" for ivory directly from Africa, thus fuelling the ongoing poaching crisis. Legal ivory is used as a front for the illegal ivory trade. Traders claim to the government that they are selling very little ivory, yet Hong Kong has an extensive ivory business. One major ivory trader explained that "laundering" is easy, whereby traders use the stockpile of legal ivory as a front while they instead sell smuggled, illegal ivory to unsuspecting buyers. Loopholes exist in the licensing system. These enable the system to be exploited by unscrupulous businesses, perpetuating the illegal ivory trade and driving the rapid decline in elephant populations. A major ivory trader suggested best licensing practices to the government, but this proposal was not adopted. Also, the government does not perform forensic testing to confirm the age of ivory being displayed, stored or sold. The re-export of ivory from Hong Kong without permits is illegal, but rampant. Over 90 per cent of ivory buyers are mainland Chinese tourists, yet it is illegal to take ivory across Hong Kong's borders without a permit. An ivory trader described how buyers can simply smuggle their purchases across the border. This presents a huge challenge to Hong Kong Customs, as the city welcomes 60 million visitors every year. Inadequate deterrents and prosecution. The maximum penalties for smuggling and selling illegal ivory under Hong Kong Law are harsh, but often only low penalties are given. Between 2011 and 2013, most prosecutions resulted in relatively small fines, with only about 10 cases resulting in short prison sentences. Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) has limited resources to inspect ivory traders. There are only eight inspectors who are tasked with checking all the shops selling items derived from rare and threatened species in Hong Kong. The regulatory system lacks transparency. Most key information relating to the ivory trade is not publicly available. In view of the lack of effectiveness in regulating ivory trafficking and trade and the toll it is taking on elephant populations, it's time to re-write the future of elephants by banning ivory sales in Hong Kong. WWF calls for the Hong Kong government to rapidly phase out the commercial processing and sale of ivory, based on a firm plan and a short timeline. Hong Kong has earned an international reputation as a law-abiding society, and must ensure that this reputation is maintained. The threats posed by global crime syndicates and the legal loopholes in local regulations are a serious challenge to our rule of law, therefore WWF calls the Hong Kong government to take all available measures to disrupt and prosecute those who prey on and profit from the illegal trade. Only firm, robust and immediate action can halt the trade in ivory and save the elephants. WWF's detailed study of the ivory trade in Hong Kong assesses the effectiveness of the existing regulatory system through an analysis of government data and information from other specialist organizations in the field, supplemented by information collected by field investigators who posed as authentic ivory buyers to conduct interviews with ivory traders. The research has included conversations with three traders, who claimed to have access to at least 15 to 20 tonnes of ivory between them. This is a large sum compared with the 111.3 tonnes of legal ivory stockpile held by all businesses in Hong Kong. All three traders pointed to a number of irregularities in the Hong Kong ivory trade. The study has uncovered several fundamental flaws in the current regulatory system and evidence of widespread illegality relating to the ivory trade. The evidence in this report demonstrates the systemic flaws in Hong Kong's illegal and under-regulated trade, which is directly fuelling present-day poaching activities in Africa. The study identifies seven major weaknesses in the current system of regulation. In recent years, the global illegal wildlife trade has exploded, expanding to meet vastly increased demand for wild animal products. Underpinned by crime syndicates, wildlife is trafficked in the same way as drugs or weapons: it is now the fourth-largest illicit trade, valued at over US$ 19 billion annually. Of grave concern to WWF is the effect of this trade on elephants - over 30,000 are killed every year in Africa, primarily for their tusks. The majority of the illegal ivory harvested is sent to Asian markets, particularly China and Thailand, with Hong Kong playing a key role in this trade. Hong Kong currently has a legal stockpile of ivory taken from wild elephants, amassed before African elephants were listed under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora(CITES) and enacted in local legislation in 1990. Today, Hong Kong ivory traders claim to conduct their business by using this stockpile from 25 years ago. The current size of this stockpile is 111.3 tonnes and it lies in the possession of over 400 license holders.

Details: Hong Kong) World Wildlife Fund - Hong Kong, 2015. 24p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 2, 2016 at: http://assets.worldwildlife.org/publications/816/files/original/wwf_ivorytrade_eng_eversion.pdf?1442844784

Year: 2015

Country: Hong Kong

URL: http://assets.worldwildlife.org/publications/816/files/original/wwf_ivorytrade_eng_eversion.pdf?1442844784

Shelf Number: 138891

Keywords:
Animal Poaching
Elephants
Illegal Ivory Trade
Illegal Trade
Illegal Wildlife Trade
Ivory
Wildlife Crime

Author: Vigne, Lucy

Title: China Faces a Conservation Challenge: The Expanding Elephant and Mammoth Ivory Trade in Beijing and Shanghai

Summary: The Chinese ivory industry has been expanding tremendously, especially in the last five years. Illegal ivory imports are the largest in the world by weight and have been soaring; the wholesale price of raw tusks sold for carving has tripled since 2010; the number of official ivory carving factories has risen several-fold; the number of carvers is way up, the number of legal (licensed) retail outlets for elephant ivory has increased significantly as has the number of illegal (unlicensed) outlets selling elephant ivory; there has been a boom in customers for elephant ivory, both legal and illegal, both raw and worked, especially by collectors and investors in China; retail prices for ivory items have skyrocketed; and some businesspeople are optimistic about future economic benefits of trading in ivory. Law enforcement has not kept up with this huge expansion in the illegal ivory industry in China, where it is the largest in the world. The mammoth ivory industry has also expanded; this trade is legal. In China the growth in tusk imports, wholesale prices, carving, the number of retail outlets and the number of mammoth ivory items for sale has been significant. With the rising wealth in the country, more customers have been buying mammoth ivory. Retail ivory prices have skyrocketed, and traders are confident in the future of the industry because of the increase in demand. Although trade in mammoth ivory is legal, some traders are using it as a cover for selling elephant ivory in Beijing and Shanghai.

Details: Nairobi, Kenya: Save the Elephants; Kent, UK: The Aspinall Foundation, 2014. 92p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 13, 2016 at: http://savetheelephants.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/2014_ChinaConservationChallenge.pdf

Year: 2014

Country: China

URL: http://savetheelephants.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/2014_ChinaConservationChallenge.pdf

Shelf Number: 139015

Keywords:
Elephants
Illegal Trade
Illegal Wildlife Trade
Ivory
Wildlife Crime

Author: Dranginis, Holly

Title: Grand Theft Global: Prosecuting the War Crime of Pillage in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Summary: From the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) to the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) to Al-Shabaab, many of the world's most infamous and destabilizing armed actors today finance their activities in part through the illegal exploitation and trade of natural resources. Theft in the context of armed conflict constitutes the war crime of pillage, which is punishable in most domestic jurisdictions and at the International Criminal Court (ICC). Prosecuting armed actors and their facilitators for natural resource pillage can help reduce incomes for perpetrators of atrocities, combat resource exploitation, and end the impunity that enables illegal financial networks to thrive in conflict zones. Furthermore, investigating pillage can strengthen cases addressing violent atrocity crimes like rape and murder by uncovering critical information about command responsibility and criminal intent. Prosecutions are a direct, effective way to help disrupt conflict financing and improve accountability for economic crimes - like trafficking and money laundering - and the atrocities they fuel.

Details: Washington, DC: Enough Project, 2015. 27p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed June 6, 2016 at: http://www.enoughproject.org/files/GrandTheftGlobal-PillageReport-Dranginis-Enough-Jan2015.pdf

Year: 2015

Country: Congo, Democratic Republic

URL: http://www.enoughproject.org/files/GrandTheftGlobal-PillageReport-Dranginis-Enough-Jan2015.pdf

Shelf Number: 139285

Keywords:
Illegal Trade
Natural Resources
Offenses Against the Environment
Pillaging
War Crimes

Author: Bafilemba, Fidel

Title: Congo's Conflict Gold Rush: Bringing Gold into the Legal Trade in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Summary: A trade in illegally mined and smuggled "conflict gold" is fueling both high-level military corruption and violent rebel groups in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), according to a new report by the Enough Project. "Congo's Conflict Gold Rush: Bringing gold into the legal trade in the Democratic Republic of Congo," by the Enough Project's Fidel Bafilemba and Sasha Lezhnev, offers an in-depth portrait of the conflict gold supply chain, from muddy artisanal mines where gold is dug out with shovels and pick-axes, through illicit transport routes in Uganda, Burundi, and Dubai. Based on seven months of field research at mines and in regional capitals, the report provides an in-depth discussion of solutions to the conflict gold supply chain.

Details: Washington, DC: Enough Project, 2015. 36p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed June 7, 2016 at: http://www.enoughproject.org/files/April%2029%202015%20Congo%20Conflict%20Gold%20Rush%20reduced.pdf

Year: 2015

Country: Congo, Democratic Republic

URL: http://www.enoughproject.org/files/April%2029%202015%20Congo%20Conflict%20Gold%20Rush%20reduced.pdf

Shelf Number: 139291

Keywords:
Gold
Illegal Trade
Illicit Trade
Natural Resources
Smuggling

Author: Myers, Allison Thigpen

Title: The Blind Man's Elephant: Broadening perspectives to Save the African Elephant

Summary: Ivory poaching has evolved from a local and regional nuisance to a vexing global threat in need of immediate action. The ivory trade is one of the world's largest illicit activities, funneling money to terrorist groups, creating instability, and bringing the world's largest land mammal to near extinction. The African elephant population has plummeted and poaching rates have reached an all time high driven by an insatiable Asian demand. The ivory trade has shifted from small, subsistence efforts to militarized, highly organized, and professional criminal networks. This change has not only expanded the scale of poaching activities, but also increased the threat to national security. In Africa, ivory trade has financed terrorist networks including the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA), al-Shabab and the Janjaweed. By leveraging unstable governments and underground financing from the global illicit ivory trade, terrorist and criminal organizations pose a threat well beyond Africa's borders. Fragmented solutions have been presented to encourage the development of conservation programs; however, most policies have not been fully implemented or sustained at the range country level. While humans have an ethical responsibility to act in the face of species extinction, conservation policies must be reasonable in the demands they place on fragile governments. The establishment of conservation programs must acknowledge the untenable situation placed on developing nations with unlimited demands and severely limited financial resources. By encouraging responsible economic growth combined with local engagement and sustainability, conservation programs to reestablish the African elephant can succeed in a world of restricted and limited resources. While the size and scope of the illegal ivory trade is daunting, it is a winnable war. Unlike other highly trafficked resources, ivory is a vanity item. There is no perceived health benefit to overcome as seen in the rhino horn trade, no technology application like the coltan market, and no secondary utility like that of timber. The correct combination of economically viable policies founded on conservation ethics can bolster national security, reduce conflict, increase economic growth, and save the African elephant from extinction.

Details: Washington, DC: Georgetown University, 2014. 109p.

Source: Internet Resource: Thesis: Accessed June 8, 2016 at: https://repository.library.georgetown.edu/bitstream/handle/10822/712451/Myers_georgetown_0076M_12786.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y

Year: 2014

Country: Africa

URL: https://repository.library.georgetown.edu/bitstream/handle/10822/712451/Myers_georgetown_0076M_12786.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y

Shelf Number: 139312

Keywords:
Animal Poaching
Elephants
Illegal Trade
Ivory
Wildlife Crime

Author: Dranginis, Holly

Title: The Mafia in the Park: A charcoal syndicate is threatening Virunga, Africa's oldest national park

Summary: An illegal charcoal cartel is helping to finance one of the most prominent militias in central Africa and destroying parts of Africa's oldest national park. Nursing alliances with Congolese army and police units and operating remote trafficking rings in the sanctuaries of Congo's protected forests, the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) is a kingpin in Africa's Great Lakes region's organized crime networks and a continuing threat to human security.

Details: Washington, DC: Enough Project, 2016. 45p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed July 22, 2016 at: http://www.enoughproject.org/files/report_MafiaInThePark_Dranginis_Enough_June2016.pdf

Year: 2016

Country: Africa

URL: http://www.enoughproject.org/files/report_MafiaInThePark_Dranginis_Enough_June2016.pdf

Shelf Number: 139794

Keywords:
Charcoal
Forests
Illegal Trade
Natural Resources
Organized Crime
Theft of Natural Resources

Author: Lau, W.

Title: A rapid survey of UK ivory markets

Summary: Although the antiques ivory market in the UK appears to have declined significantly there are still thousands of ivory items on sale in London's markets, according to surveys carried out this April by TRAFFIC. Researchers from TRAFFIC visited 13 antiques markets and two areas with antiques shops across London and also carried out online searches to record the number of ivory items on sale. Their findings are published in A rapid survey of UK ivory markets. They found a wide range of ivory items offered for sale, including figures (56%), household goods (27%), jewellery (9%) and personal items (8%); similar items were found for sale or auction online. However, compared to surveys carried out in 2004, the researchers found fewer individual market stalls offering ivory, declining from around 640 stalls in 2004 to 200 in 2016, while the total number of ivory items for sale also declined, from around 6,000 items to 3,200 over the same period. Links with the current elephant poaching crisis appear tenuous at best, as researchers found no new or raw (unworked) ivory for sale, and only one item that was reportedly after the 1947 cut-off date for antique ivory. The nationality of buyers appeared to have changed too: in 2004 they were mainly American and European tourists, while in 2016 traders reported that travellers and citizens from East Asian countries and territories, including mainland China, Japan and Hong Kong were predominant. Reasons proposed to explain the apparent physical market decline include the emergence of online sales and/or stricter legislation which, according to traders, has led to reduced prices and demand for ivory items. However, according to the study, comparisons should be made with caution as "the surveys conducted in 2004 and 2016 were not identical due to various unavoidable factors." Although the global ivory trade was banned in 1989, antique ivory (carved or "worked" products acquired before 3rd March 1947), and raw or carved "pre-Convention" ivory can be traded under certain circumstances. According to figures from CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora), between 2005 and 2014, the UK was a net (re-)exporter of ivory for commercial purposes, comprising 990 kg and ~54,000 ivory pieces, some 31% of the EU's total. However, the study found evidence of potential irregularity. Of concern was a significant imbalance between the UK's reported exports of only 17 raw tusks, but importers' records showing 109 tusks originating from the UK. Furthermore, according to UK domestic measures, only worked specimens (antique or pre-Convention), not raw ivory, can legally be re-exported for commercial purposes. According to the study "it would be essential to clarify the reasons for these discrepancies." Meanwhile seizure data "show that the UK plays a role in illegal ivory trade...in particular as a transit country, with ivory seizures...having increased in recent years." The researchers found mixed understanding amongst traders of what constitutes legal ivory sales. All traders were aware of there being a specific cut-off date for antiques and many of the stricter rules regarding ivory importation into, for example the USA and China, but some were far less knowledgeable. More worrying, some even suggested transporting ivory items in personal luggage or sending them by post, without documentation. Few dealers were able to provide proof of age or documentation to prove legal acquisition of their ivory for sale.

Details: Cambridge, UK: TRAFFIC, 2016. 56p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 3, 2016 at: http://static1.1.sqspcdn.com/static/f/157301/27217988/1472570776477/UK-ivory-markets.pdf?token=9dlmId6A55I5yg%2BP8VExwqLxWRk%3D

Year: 2016

Country: United Kingdom

URL: http://static1.1.sqspcdn.com/static/f/157301/27217988/1472570776477/UK-ivory-markets.pdf?token=9dlmId6A55I5yg%2BP8VExwqLxWRk%3D

Shelf Number: 140135

Keywords:
Illegal Markets
Illegal trade
Ivory

Author: Day, Christopher

Title: The Bangui Carousel: How the recycling of political elites reinforces instability and violence in the Central African Republic

Summary: The successful February 2016 election of President Faustin Archange Touadera marks a new beginning for the Central African Republic (CAR) and provides hope that the country is now stabilizing after three years of violence and political transition. Touadera has been endorsed by many of his political opponents, and the country remained largely peaceful in the weeks following the elections. But CAR is still a long way from political stability. If policymakers fail to address the structural issues that led to the crisis in CAR, the country is likely to repeat its violent past. Sworn in on March 30, Touadera, a former math teacher and prime minister, faces massive challenges. Armed groups and criminal gangs continue to destabilize the countryside, controlling valuable mining areas and commercial towns where they extort illicit taxes and trade diamonds and gold. More than 2 million people, or half of the country's population, are experiencing hunger; close to 415,000 people remain internally displaced, and 467,000 refugees are only slowly trickling back. Thousands of people have been killed since the March 2013 military coup by the Seleka alliance and the violence that followed. CAR has endured persistent violence and instability for decades. Institutional weakness, poverty, and exclusion do much to explain the country's history of disorder. But by significant measure, it is also the deliberate maintenance of such weakness by a small political elite that is at the root of CAR's endemic kleptocracy, a source of political instability, and a driver of violence in the country. Whether ushered in by coup or popular election, successive governments have proved unable to bring about meaningful change in CAR, in part because of the pattern of appointing many of the same people - often relatives and personal friends - to senior government offices. In sum, successive rulers in CAR have maintained authority largely by centralizing control where possible, and extended personal rule by dispensing patronage in return for political support, in particular by personally appointing to senior posts those who served in previous governments or trusted family members. This system has fostered division between the capital and the countryside, incubated the grievances of armed groups, and above all, created significant incentives to hijack the state through violence. This occurs as groups have competed for control of the state to access resources and privileges, instead of to benefit Central Africans. This elite recycling is a key component of what we present here as the "Bangui Carousel" to reflect the many people who rotate through the country's regimes, time and again. This pattern of elite recycling, which is not per se unique to CAR, is more critical in this country than elsewhere because it is interwoven with a near-complete lack of governance. There are few effective state or local government institutions, making the role and impact of the recycled individual leaders that much more potent. Unfortunately, it has been the complete dismantling of institutional checks and balances, the weakening of political parties and civil society organizations, and the use of violence to suppress opposition that have been the hallmark of many of these leaders. This combination of elite recycling on top of a governmental and civic system with little to no capacity and that often reinforces its hold on power through violence defines the Bangui Carousel. It is at the heart of what passes for Central African governance. The recycling and maintenance of a small group of elites - regardless of leadership at the top - combined with the absence of effective state institutions is a fundamental feature of government in CAR. Understanding this matters most to address the structural roots of the country's persistent instability and eventually stop the Bangui Carousel from spinning, so that government can bring about the change the country desperately needs. The recycling of elites is present throughout much of CAR's modern history. To illustrate patterns of elite recycling, the report focuses on appointments to government ministries since early 2013. To gather information and supplement field research, the authors analyzed hundreds of presidential decrees, 15 of which provided information about government reorganizations ordered by former Presidents Francois Bozize, Michel Djotodia, and Catherine Samba-Panza. This was then used to develop an overview of the members in each government and their inter-connections. The report then focuses on some of the individuals who have participated in or benefited from the Bangui Carousel. Those in the report were selected for different reasons: their affiliations with different armed groups, their mere affiliation with past regimes, potential connections to corruption, or their family ties, each of which tends to undermine the possibility of good governance. The analysis has been done with the objective to understand how groups and individuals get access to the Bangui Carousel and how they often benefit from their political appointments at the expense of CAR's citizens or simply forfeit the government's ability to earn the public's trust. Reference to any particular individual in this report does not, in and of itself, mean the individual is responsible for the violence or corruption that typically flows from the Bangui Carousel system. Rather, we highlight these individuals simply to demonstrate how the elite recycling element of the Bangui Carousel has worked. Subsequent reports will examine the governance elements in more detail, as well as the role of foreign powers, such as France and Chad, in perpetuating the system. To disrupt, and eventually, stop the entirety of the Carousel, accountability and effective governance must exist in CAR. And in place of the Carousel, a system of principled governance and greater merit-based criteria for appointments responsive to the needs of ordinary Central Africans must be established. A way forward to accomplish this in part is addressed in a series of recommendations.

Details: Washington, DC: Enough Project, 2016. 21p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 3, 2016 at: http://www.enoughproject.org/reports/bangui-carousel-how-recycling-political-elites-reinforces-instability-and-violence-central-a

Year: 2016

Country: Central African Republic

URL: http://www.enoughproject.org/reports/bangui-carousel-how-recycling-political-elites-reinforces-instability-and-violence-central-a

Shelf Number: 140150

Keywords:
Gang Violence
Illegal Trade
Mining Industry
Political Corruption
Violence
Violent Crime

Author: World Economic Forum

Title: State of the Illicit Economy: Briefing Papers

Summary: While the state of the global economy continues to fluctuate, its illegitimate counterpart, the illicit economy, has seen unprecedented growth. As such, it has etched its way into all aspects of society, and is cause for serious global concern. From healthcare to infrastructure to the arts, the illicit economy does not affect just one aspect of society, but all of them: business, government, civil society and individuals. It is a disruptor of social order to the greatest extent. A call to action must be made. The illicit economy is formed from the proceeds of illicit trade which is, in turn, largely rooted in organized crime. Whether it is human trafficking, arms trafficking, the illegal wildlife trade, counterfeiting or money laundering, these activities are incredibly lucrative and fuel the magnitude of the illicit economy. Our Global Agenda Council on Illicit Trade 2012-2014 estimated the shadow economy to be worth $650 billion. More current research projects that the cost to the global economy of counterfeiting alone could reach USD 1.77 Trillion in 2015. With technological advancements and the international nature of trade in the world today, this value is expected to continue to rise. Illicit trade operates on a vast scale and unprecedented pace, making it increasingly challenging to tackle. There are multiple initiatives and organizations, as well as public and private initiatives, dedicated to combating one or several aspects of illicit trade, but this is not a fight that can be won unilaterally. To achieve success, a global and multidisciplinary approach is needed in which the knowledge, expertise and experiences of various actors can be tapped into and shared. As an international institute for public-private partnership, the World Economic Forum provides a neutral platform for parties to come together and discuss the issue of illicit trade. The aim is to foster structured dialogue between business, civil society and government so that common methods and solutions of tackling this trade can be found. Through multidisciplinary cooperation and joint action, results can be achieved. We can disrupt the proliferation of illicit trade, whether it is by simply raising awareness of the problem within affected communities, or by finding ways of detecting and preventing crimes that contribute to ruining the economy. The World Economic Forum's Meta-Council on the Illicit Economy aims to take this principle of public-private cooperation forward. By engaging leading experts in the field, the Meta-Council will try to find viable multi-stakeholder solutions to limiting this criminal activity. This paper on the State of the Illicit Economy is the first step in the process. It sets out the parameters within which illicit trade operates, the contributing factors to illicit trade, the role that various societal sectors can play in the fight against it, and the types of solutions needed to combat it.

Details: Geneva, SWIT: World Economic Forum, 2015. 20p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 8, 2016 at: http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_State_of_the_Illicit_Economy_2015_2.pdf

Year: 2015

Country: International

URL: http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_State_of_the_Illicit_Economy_2015_2.pdf

Shelf Number: 140237

Keywords:
Counterfeiting
Human Trafficking
Illegal Trade
Illicit Mining
Illicit Trade
Organized Crime

Author: Martin, Esmond

Title: No Oasis: The Egyptian Ivory Trade in 2005

Summary: A comprehensive survey of the ivory trade in Egypt, focused upon the cities of Cairo, Luxor, Aswan, Hurghada and Sharm el-Sheikh, was undertaken in March and April 2005. The principal findings of that effort can be summarized as follows: - Raw elephant ivory tusks are still being imported illegally into Egypt, albeit in very limited quantities. Such shipments reportedly originate in the Democratic Republic of Congo and southern Sudan and are moved overland from Sudan into Egypt. Other reports suggested that a few tusks also may come from India, but such information could not be substantiated. Compared with the late 1990s, however, the quantity imported has declined markedly. - The price paid by craftsmen and owners of the ivory workshops in Cairo for a 2-5 kg raw ivory tusk averaged about USD190/kg, while larger tusks weighing 10-19 kg cost around USD345/kg. When adjusted for inflation in 1998 USD terms, these prices are 200-250% of those documented for comparable tusks noted in surveys in 1998 and 1999. This price increase may be credibly attributed to three factors: increased law enforcement, a reduction in supply in Egypt and the increasing cost of elephant ivory at its source in neighbouring African countries. - Somewhere between 25 and 50 ivory craftsmen, some located in and around Khan al-Khalili, the main market in Cairo, are estimated still to be carving ivory today, but their numbers have fallen to somewhere between one-quarter and one-half of the 100 carvers identified in 1998 and most only carve ivory on a parttime basis. This continues the significant decline in the number of ivory carvers in Egypt, documented with comparable data for the years 1989 and 1998 (Martin and Stiles, 2000). - A total of 130 retail outlets were found selling ivory products in the five cities and towns surveyed. Cairo, Luxor and Aswan collectively had 142 shops in 1998 but, by 2005, the number of retail outlets selling ivory had apparently fallen to 119 in these three cities, indicating an overall reduction of about 15-20%. - The number of ivory items seen for sale at the retail level numbered 10 709 in 2005, less than half the number observed in 1998 (21 460). While the scale of the trade has apparently fallen in all cities surveyed, the greatest decline in the number of ivory products on the retail market was noted in Aswan and Luxor, where only 373 and 1308, respectively, were found in 2005 compared to 3388 and 6445 ivory products observed in 1998. - Cairo, with 83% of the ivory items seen for sale, continues to be the major outlet for ivory products in Egypt. Luxor accounted for 12% of the ivory products observed and Aswan had only three per cent. In sharp contrast, the huge tourist resorts of Hurghada and Sharm el-Sheikh displayed only negligible amounts of ivory. - The most common items found for sale were figurines of Egyptian gods and humans - 34%; animal figurines, such as scarabs, camels and elephants - 30%; pendants - 9%; necklaces - 6%; and bangles - 4%. It is worth noting that there were almost no ivory name seals or chopsticks, key ivory products for the Asian market, found during the survey. - The main buyers of ivory products were reportedly tourists from Italy and Spain, followed by those from France and unspecified Latin American countries. This largely mirrored the findings of the 1998 survey. Local Egyptians apparently consume virtually no ivory themselves. - Retail prices for worked ivory items sold in Egypt in 2005, adjusted for inflation in US dollars (USD) terms, appear to be anywhere from twice to over four times those of late 1998. In 2005, a typical 10-cm human figurine cost about USD185, a medium-sized bead necklace was USD51, a 2.5-cm bangle was USD35, a 5- cm pendant was USD14 and a small ring was USD7. - There were very few antique ivory pieces observed for sale (less than one per cent of the total number of ivory products surveyed). Equally, only a very small number of ivory items that had been manufactured in other countries were found for sale on the Egyptian market. Thus, virtually all of Egypt's ivory trade comprises products that were locally produced in recent times. - The Egyptian Government has made significant efforts, particularly from 1999 through to 2003, to seize elephant tusks and illegal worked ivory items in several parts of the country. Altogether, over 3.5 t of ivory has been seized during this period. Improved law enforcement has been partly responsible for the decline of the Egyptian ivory industry and various shopkeepers indicated awareness concerning the illegality of the trade or had experienced government pressure to curtail sales directly. - Although ivory trade in the country is under pressure and has declined considerably since 1999, the scale of the current trade at retail level is still significant and of conservation concern. In this regard, Egypt has not conformed with the CITES requirements for controls on the internal trade in ivory contained in Resolution Conf. 10.10 (Rev. CoP12). - To reduce the availability of elephant ivory products in key markets throughout the country and to ensure compliance with all CITES requirements, it is recommended that Egypt: - review and improve policy, legislation and regulatory measures so that they fulfil the requirements of CITES Resolution Conf. 10.10 (Rev. 12); - address implementation and enforcement deficiencies; - raise awareness and publicity on wildlife trade controls; and - be reviewed as part of the CITES Standing Committee process for assessing domestic ivory markets worldwide, with a view to including Egypt as a priority country for attention within the context of the Action plan for the control of trade in African elephant ivory.

Details: Cambridge, UK: TRAFFIC International, 2005. 32p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 8, 2016 at: http://www.traffic.org/mammals

Year: 2005

Country: Egypt

URL: http://www.traffic.org/mammals

Shelf Number: 147904

Keywords:
Elephants
Illegal Trade
Illegal Wildlife Trade
Ivory

Author: de Koning, Ruben

Title: Striking Gold: How M23 and its Allies are Infiltrating Congo's Gold Trade

Summary: The M23 rebel group has taken over a profitable part of the conflict gold trade in the east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, or DRC. It is using revenues from the illicit trade to benefit its leaders and supporters and fund its military campaign by building military alliances and networks with other armed groups that control territory around gold mines and by smuggling gold through Uganda and Burundi. M23 commander Sultani Makenga, who is also allegedly one of the rebels' main recruiters of child soldiers according to the U.N. Group of Experts on Congo, is at the center of the conflict gold efforts. This report documents how Makenga and his former co-commander Bosco Ntaganda have led the M23 rebels to work with local armed groups in gold-rich territories to smuggle gold to Uganda via an M23-controlled border crossing, as well as to Burundi, where it is sold internationally. Much of this conflict gold then reaches markets in the United Arab Emirates, or UAE, before going on to banks and jewelers, which together make up 80 percent of global gold demand. Gold is now the most important conflict mineral in eastern Congo, with at least 12 tons worth roughly $500 million smuggled out of the east every year. The other main sources of revenue for armed groups - the "3T minerals" of tin, tungsten, and tantalum - have been steadily reduced due to global conflict-minerals reforms spurred by the U.S. Dodd-Frank financial regulation law, but it is still relatively easy to smuggle gold. Limiting gold smuggling from eastern Congo must therefore become a priority for the international community. M23 commander Makenga is taking over a gold-smuggling network that former cocommander Bosco Ntaganda built over several years. As military leader of the rebel National Congress for the Defense of the People, or CNDP, a forerunner of M23, Ntaganda in 2011 reportedly brokered several multimillion-dollar gold deals in Goma, DRC; Kampala, Uganda; and Nairobi, Kenya, between Congolese traders and overseas buyers. In 2012, Ntaganda led the newly created M23 as it broke away from the Congolese army, in which its troops had been integrated as part of a peace deal. During his time with M23 and in the shadow of the peace talks in Kampala between Congo's government and the M23, Ntaganda facilitated the transfer of an estimated 325 kilos of gold worth $15 million to Kampala for sale, according to the U.N. experts. Ntaganda admitted to the U.N. experts that he played a role in one deal in 2011 in Goma, but he never commented on his role in other deals he allegedly brokered. In March 2013, Ntaganda surrendered to the U.S. Embassy in Rwanda, where he requested to transfer to the International Criminal Court, or ICC, to face charges of war crimes. Since then, Enough Project's investigations with gold-trade insiders, Congolese civil and military authorities, and members of the Congolese diaspora communities in Kampala and Bujumbura show that Makenga is taking over Ntaganda's relationships with smugglers in Uganda. Makenga has also mobilized several other military and business players loyal to former CNDP leader Laurent Nkunda to create a business network entirely separate from Ntaganda, according to Enough Project investigations. To capture a greater share of the gold trade, M23 has built alliances with individuals and armed groups that control large mines in eastern Congo. These include Sheka Ntabo Ntaberi of the Nduma Defence of Congo, or NDC, armed group in Walikale territory of eastern Congo - the alleged mastermind of the mass rape of more than 300 women, children, and men at Luvungi in 2010. M23 has built ties with Justin Banaloki - whose alias is "Cobra Matata" - the armed leader who is based in Ituri District and was highlighted in the October 2013 National Geographic. M23 is also associated with Congolese army defector and militia leader Maj. Hilaire Kombi in Beni and Lubero territories, according to U.N. experts and Enough Project research. Traversing otherwise hostile ethnic and political divisions, these alliances are based partially on economic gain. Many of those who reap the greatest profits are also those most directly implicated in atrocities and crimes against humanity. On the basis of recent Enough Project investigations and past research by the U.N. Group of Experts, this report identifies three main gold exporters that the Enough Project believes are enabling M23 and associated armed groups to profit from the gold trade by either running or using official gold export companies in Uganda and Burund - all of which is in violation of the U.N. arms embargo: - Rajendra "Raju" Kumar, who currently trades through Mineral Impex Uganda and formerly ran Machanga, Ltd. - Mutoka Ruganyira, who currently operates through Ntahangwa Mining in Burundi and formerly ran Berkenrode - Madadali Sultanali Pirani, who currently runs Silver Minerals in Uganda Additionally, a major Congolese exporter has reportedly been trading gold from mines controlled by the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda, or FDLR, and other armed groups for several years, according to several U.N. Groups of Experts: - Evariste Shamamba, who currently runs Etablissement Namukaya and New CongoCom Airlines16 The international community has done very little to combat the sale of conflict gold effectively. None of the above-mentioned individuals, or the companies they currently run, face U.N., U.S., or E.U. sanctions. The only international sanctions against conflict gold companies were enacted in 2007, but the owners of the sanctioned companies immediately set up new gold-exporting businesses under different corporate names. Sanctions against the four exporters would make an important dent in the conflict gold trade, since they control a significant portion of the illicit trade. Gold exporters generally claim to purchase their gold either domestically or in countries that are not under a U.N. arms embargo. The fact that a significant part of conflict gold trade enters the formal worldwide gold trade shows an urgent need to levy targeted international sanctions on the individual exporters - the beneficial owners of these businesses - who are complicit. In order to conduct and facilitate due diligence following guidelines established by the United Nations and the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, or OECD, the international community should intensify pressure on companies, company owners, and their host governments that are importing and refining gold from the region. While such sanctions are important to bring the illicit gold trade under control and further reduce sources of revenue for armed groups, the agony of eastern Congo will ultimately end when the key parties - Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda - reach a just, comprehensive peace agreement. The best hope for that is the process led by U.N. Special Envoy Mary Robinson, following the Peace, Security, and Cooperation Framework signed earlier this year.

Details: Enough Project, 2013. 21p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 19, 2016 at: http://www.enoughproject.org/files/StrikingGold-M23-and-Allies-Infiltrating-Congo-Gold-Trade.pdf

Year: 2013

Country: Congo, Democratic Republic

URL: http://www.enoughproject.org/files/StrikingGold-M23-and-Allies-Infiltrating-Congo-Gold-Trade.pdf

Shelf Number: 140353

Keywords:
Conflict Minerals
Gold Mining
Gold Smuggling
Illegal Trade
Illicit Trade
Natural Resources
Smuggling

Author: Southern Africa Resource Watch

Title: Congo's Golden Web: The People, Companies and Countries that Profit from the Illegal Trade in Congolese Gold

Summary: In 2011, the Southern Africa Resource Watch (SARW) launched a regional monitoring and research project to assess the physical, social and economic security risks - as well as the socio-economic, humanitarian and commercial conditions - faced by gold mining communities in the provinces of North and South Kivu, Maniema and Orientale in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Two previous reports - From Conflict Gold to Criminal Gold (2012) and The High Cost of Congo's Gold (2013) - included detailed research and analysis on the changing nature of the gold industry in eastern Congo and its negative impact on miners, their families and communities. This report completes the ground breaking series by describing all aspects of the commercialization of Congolese gold - including gold that is produced by industrial, semi-industrial and artisanal mining operations, and gold that is traded and refined by small merchants, well-capitalised trading groups and powerful refineries. SARW initiated this research project at a time when Congo's mining environment was improving, propelled by a number of exceptional conditions, including a gold super cycle, which saw prices on world markets rise to over US$1950 per ounce in 2011 and 2012; the establishment of peace in most major gold mining regions in eastern Congo; and the restructuring of government agencies mandated to support gold mining and trading. However, in April 2013, while this report was being drafted, the gold price declined precipitously, eroding profit margins for all gold mining activities and disrupting the global gold production industry. The challenge faced by the DRC government to maximize benefits from the nation's gold resources has now become harder. Nevertheless, progress is visible with the inauguration of industrial gold production at Banro's Twangiza mine and at the Kibali project managed by Randgold Resources. Despite these positive developments, international investors in gold projects in Congo remain cautious due to its problematic political risk profile. This SARW report highlights issues that are most detrimental to the Congo's reputation and to the ability of the Congolese to benefit from their significant gold endowments, including: Widespread corruption at all levels of the Congolese government, which is a major enabler of activities that are either outrightly criminal or in violation of existing regulations governing industrial, small scale and artisanal gold extraction and trade; The illegal trade and exportation of gold, which accounts for most of the gold extracted by Congo's hundreds of semi industrial and hundred of thousands of artisanal miners - with traders not paying the appropriate fees and taxes, exporting gold without the required certification and payment of export duties, or only paying duties on a small portion of their total turn over by significantly underreporting the true scale of their gold trading; Routine contravention of their licences by semi industrial and industrial permit holders, which delay significant investments that they are contractually obliged to make so as to boost their stock market performance by inflating their gold reserve portfolio, which can be divested whenever the need arises; Aiding and abetting the smuggling and illegal trading of Congo's gold by neighbouring countries, specifically Burundi and Uganda, which continue to pretend that their actions have no impact on DRC's illegal gold trade, while their economies benefit; and The inadequacy of existing international and multilateral instruments, including UN sanctions, ICGLR protocols, OECD guidelines and other multi stakeholder initiatives, which have failed to encourage the necessary international collabouration to stop the criminal networks that are trading Congo's gold. Even where compelling evidence exists that trading and refining companies are implicated in the illegal trade of Congo's gold, no meaningful interventions or investigations occur - a grievous betrayal of various states' commitments under current UN sanctions and other international treaties.

Details: Rosebank, South Africa: Southern Africa Resource Watch, 2014. 88p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 19, 2016 at: http://www.sarwatch.org/sites/sarwatch.org/files/Publications_docs/congogold3web.pdf

Year: 2014

Country: Congo, Democratic Republic

URL: http://www.sarwatch.org/sites/sarwatch.org/files/Publications_docs/congogold3web.pdf

Shelf Number: 140359

Keywords:
Gold Mining
Illegal Trade
Illicit Trade
Natural Resources
Political Corruption

Author: Partnership Africa Canada

Title: Contraband Gold in the Great Lakes Region: In-region Cross-border Gold Flows versus Out-region Smuggling

Summary: This study examines the ASM gold sector in the ICGLR Region, analysing both its size and the extent to which ASM gold produced in the region is smuggled either across local borders or out the region completely. The study notes the extent to which cross-border movement of gold within the ICGLR region now pales in comparison to the volume of ASM gold that is smuggled out of the region and exported illegally, principally to the United Arab Emirates. This result should be of particular interest to governments of ICGLR nations, who have traditionally looked on the problem of contraband gold as a primarily DRC related issue. With its linkages to conflict financing, gold smuggling from the DRC remains perhaps the most acute problem. However, for the governments of all other producer nations in the IGCLR region the vast scale of ASM gold smuggling from the region represents a clear and pressing problem. At its most basic level, the smuggling of ASM gold deprives governments of the region of tax revenue - up to $22 million per year - desperately needed for development. Beyond the financial loss, the inability of IGGLR governments to control, tax and financially benefit from their ASM gold sectors has served to distort governance of the mineral sector in the ICGLR region. While the LSM sector provides relatively little employment in comparison to the ASM sector, governments in the ICGLR region give priority to LSM gold projects, in large measure because LSM projects provide actual tax revenue to state coffers. Regaining control of ASM gold exports would not only serve to curtail conflict in the DRC, but could also serve to rebalance government priorities in the gold mining sector. Alongside the LSM sector, the ASM sector could take its proper role as a significant generator of employment, and a moderate generator of tax revenue for African governments. At the other end of the chain, the study examined the role played of the United Arab Emirates (Dubai) in the commercialisation of illegally exported ASM gold from the ICGLR region. The study found that responsibility for the failure to effectively control ASM gold flows from the ICGLR region rested not only with the producing countries, but also with the actors in the major destination for ASM gold from the ICGLR Region, the United Arab Emirates. The study found few if any effective controls being implemented by the UAE at the purchasing level of the chain: customs and import controls are lax, buyers in the souk pay little attention to origin or legal provenance, refiners and banks do not have systems in place to assure the legal provenance of the gold they trade in. This collective failure at the purchasing level is all the more extraordinary, given that due diligence as defined by the OECD (and accepted by the UAE), is the responsibility not only of producer-state governments but of actors all along the supply chain; producers, intermediaries, traders, refiners, financers/bankers and end-users. If they truly want to remain compliant with due diligence as defined by the OECD, bankers, traders and governments at the purchasing level will have to begin being much more stringent in their KYC and documentation requirements for ASM gold and gold-related transactions. Finally, the study provides suggestions and potential solutions, both for producer states and for purchasing nations such as the UAE: technical measures that, if implemented, would significantly strengthen due diligence and reduce the volumes of ASM gold being smuggled out of the ICGLR region.

Details: Ottawa: Partnership Africa Canada, 2015. 53p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 19, 2016 at: http://cosoc-gl.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/2015_05_Great_Lakes_Contraband_Gold.pdf

Year: 2015

Country: Africa

URL: http://cosoc-gl.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/2015_05_Great_Lakes_Contraband_Gold.pdf

Shelf Number: 140362

Keywords:
Gold Mining
Gold Smuggling
Illegal Trade
Natural Resources

Author: Krishnasamy, Kanitha

Title: Malaysia's Invisible Ivory Channel: An assessment of ivory seizures involving Malaysia from January 2003 - May 2014

Summary: Malaysia does not have an open domestic ivory market, unlike at least seven other Southeast Asian countries. However, its position in the global illicit ivory trade has become more prominent since 2009 when its role as a principal transit gateway for ivory en route to consumer markets in other Southeast and East Asian countries emerged. This occurrence has made Malaysia the world's paramount illicit ivory transit country, according to data in the Elephant Trade Information System (ETIS), which tracks ivory seizures globally since 1989. The ETIS report to the 62nd CITES Standing Committee meeting in July 2012 identified Malaysia as one of eight countries most heavily implicated in the illegal ivory trade chain. Malaysia was the only country that served as purely a transit country among this group of African source and Asian end-use nations. To better understand this trade dynamic, TRAFFIC assessed information from ivory seizures from a period of over 11 years (nearly 11 and a half years), from January 2003 to May 2014 - all seizures were either made by Malaysian authorities, or made outside the country, but with Malaysia identified as part of the trade chain. Findings highlight that a total of 66 ivory seizures have been connected to Malaysia, cumulatively recording 63 419 kg of ivory over this period. Although only 26 of all seizures were large-scale seizures (>500 kg), these alone logged in a total weight of 60 404 kg, accounting for 95% of the total volume seized. This report discusses some insights from the seizures over this period, as well as highlighting needs and opportunities in order for Malaysia to remove itself from its current position as a country of international concern for illicit trade in ivory under CITES. For its part, Malaysia has made a total of 19 seizures from January 2003-February 2013 totalling close to 15 tonnes of ivory. Five of these, representing 94% of total volume seized in the country, were large-scale seizures, one of which represents the third largest seizure in ETIS. The large-scale seizures in Malaysia occurred in all three of the nation's leading seaports: Ports of Klang, Pasir Gudang and Penang. However, based on seizures made outside Malaysia during the assessed period, Malaysia has been implicated in at least 47 other seizures, involving more than 48 tonnes of ivory that had already passed through a Malaysian port undetected or was destined for the country. A vast majority of these were raw ivory, with only a small proportion being worked ivory that had already passed through a Malaysian port undetected or was destined for the country. This occurrence is the primary reason Malaysia has been identified as a key transit country in the global ivory trade. These seizures involve the import, export and re-export of ivory (and other prohibited wildlife parts) from at least 23 known countries and territories around the world, at various points of the trade route. Almost 75% (n=35) of these 47 seizures were made by other countries after the shipment passed a Malaysian port unstopped, amounting to 33 889 kg of ivory. Seventeen of the 47 seizures originated from Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda - the three major exit points for the world's illegal elephant ivory trade. These three countries alone exported 66% (31 868 kg) of the total volume of ivory seized during this period involving Malaysia, with Kenya and Tanzania each moving more than 13 tonnes of ivory. Tanzania's role in moving large quantities of ivory through Malaysia has been documented since at least 2003, while the other two became more prominent since 2010. From all the seizures involving Malaysia as a transit or destination country, 16 437 kg of ivory from 13 seizures occurred in 2013 alone-the highest annual record over the 12-year period. Seven of these 13 seizures took place in the month of October, amounting to more than 8000 kg of ivory. At least 23 rhino horns were also trafficked along with the ivory between August 2010 and December 2013, with 15 horns seized in a single shipment from Uganda. In two of these shipments involving 20 rhino horns from Kenya and Uganda, Malaysia was listed as the country of destination. Outside this study period, between April 2015 and August 2015, four other seizures by Australia, Kenya, Thailand and Viet Nam have been reported. These involved more than 5 tonnes of ivory that had either passed through Malaysia or listed Malaysia as the country of destination. Such occurrences serve to reinforce that Malaysian ports continue to be used to move large quantities of ivory, and more concerning, appears to becoming more frequent at a time when the poaching of African Elephants is at its most critical level. Not a single arrest or prosecution occurred with respect to any Malaysian ivory seizure during the assessed period. However two prosecutions occurred in 2015, outside the assessed period. Malaysia's geographical proximity to the world's major ivory consumers-China and Thailand - and its efficient and well-developed port infrastructure, which ranks amongst the world's most elite ports, are important factors behind the country being used to smuggle ivory repeatedly. Although the sheer quantity, volume and speed of cargo moving through Malaysia's major seaports involving tens of millions of containers each year makes the detection of illicit ivory shipments extremely challenging, it is not an insurmountable task. Collaborative action, including risk profiling and targeting, as well as timely communication between source and consumer countries have already resulted in a number of successful seizures globally, and indeed forms part of Malaysia's National Ivory Action Plan that was submitted to CITES pursuant to the recommendations of the CITES Standing Committee. Such measures must continue, conducted in tandem with other essential actions, without which Malaysia will continue to be a prominent player in the illegal ivory trade.

Details: Selangor, Malaysia: TRAFFIC, Southeast Asia Regional Office, 2016. 34p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 20, 2016 at: http://static1.1.sqspcdn.com/static/f/157301/27231847/1473276463457/Malaysia-ivory-analysis.pdf?token=qaFgzHXTokA8FTKZWmPcJE3QWpI%3D

Year: 2016

Country: Malaysia

URL: http://static1.1.sqspcdn.com/static/f/157301/27231847/1473276463457/Malaysia-ivory-analysis.pdf?token=qaFgzHXTokA8FTKZWmPcJE3QWpI%3D

Shelf Number: 145620

Keywords:
Elephants
Illegal Ivory
Illegal Trade
Illicit Ivory
Ivory
Wildlife Crime

Author: Vigne, Lucy

Title: Vietnam's Illegal Ivory Trade Threatens Africa's Elephants

Summary: - The Vietnamese illegal ivory trade is now one of the largest in the world. - Of all the ivory industries in Asia, Vietnamese carvers have multiplied in number and increased their production of illegal ivory items the most rapidly since 2008. - Tusks are smuggled into Vietnam, nearly all from Africa, with only a few nowadays from domesticated and wild elephants in Laos and Vietnam. - In early 2015 the largest proportion of tusks was seized officially in Haiphong; this changed to Danang in the latter half of 2015. - Wholesale prices for raw tusks in Vietnam were about the same in 2015 as in mainland China, around USD 1,100/kg for a 1-3-kg tusk. - Historically ivory carving was an insignificant art form in Vietnam. - While Vietnamese ivory carvers have increased greatly in number, we did not hear of any foreigners working ivory in Vietnam. - Ivory artisans earn on average USD 260 a month, considerably less than in mainland China. - We talked to ivory carvers in Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC), in Buon Ma Thuot and in three northern villages who were optimistic about their business. - Legislation prohibiting the ivory trade in Vietnam remains unclear. A loophole in the law allows worked ivory crafted before 1992 to be legally sold in Vietnam, although with the current weak law enforcement, nobody mentioned this to us, nor did hardly any vendor mention to us that exports were illegal. - We saw no posters or other public notices in Vietnam publicizing that the trade in ivory is illegal. - In HCMC, Hanoi, one town and village in the Central Highlands, and two villages in the north we counted 242 open outlets with 16,099 ivory items on display, for retail sale. - Of these items, 9,893 (or 61%) were in one northern village that had not been counted before in a survey. - Nearly all the ivory items for sale in Vietnam are new or recently carved and illegal. - Vietnam has one of the largest number of newly worked illegal ivory items openly offered for retail sale in the world. - Most objects are pendants and other small items, usually jewellery. - There were few ivory antiques, the majority being in HCMC, popular with Chinese customers. - Hardly any expensive ivory items for retail sale were seen. The most expensive new item was a 17-cm human figure for USD 2,500 in HCMC. The most expensive old items were a carved tusk and a large urn for USD 20,000 each in an antique shop in HCMC. - The cheapest ivory item was USD 2 for a thin ring in one northern Vietnam village. - Retail ivory prices for common comparable items were three times more in Beijing and Shanghai than in HCMC and Hanoi and seven times more than in a village selling the most worked ivory seen in Vietnam. This is due to cheaper labour in Vietnam, fewer overheads, and nearly all illegal items for sale that require no expensive paperwork. - There appears to be little law enforcement within Vietnam against the illegal ivory workshops and retail shops, especially in the smaller locations that few Western foreigners visit. - Nearly all the customers we saw shopping for ivory were from mainland China; they particularly like to visit Vietnam's northern villages to buy ivory items, both wholesale and retail, as the prices are considerably lower than elsewhere in the country. - The chances of Chinese being arrested for carrying illegal ivory items crossing the border from Vietnam into China are extremely small due to ineffective law enforcement. - A growing online illegal ivory trade is expanding among Vietnamese and mainland Chinese. - Other elephant products are sold wholesale and retail in Vietnam, especially in the western region nearer to Cambodia and Laos. Products include bones, feet, hairs, meat, molars, skin and tails. - We saw no raw mammoth ivory and only one item for sale: a pendant. - In 2008 a detailed survey of Vietnam counted 2,444 ivory items on view for sale. In 2015 our survey found this number had risen by 6.6 times. A main reason was the expansion of ivory carving and sales in one particular village in the north to meet demand from mainland Chinese, and an increase in ivory items for sale in the Central Highlands area of Buon Ma Thuot to meet demand for the growing number of Asian tourists going there. - While the illegal rhino horn trade in Vietnam has been heavily criticized, its recently booming ivory trade has been largely overlooked due to a lack of information about it. - Corruption and mismanagement in Vietnam have abetted this expanding and flourishing illegal ivory trade, allowing retail displays to remain wide open and enabling smuggling of the many Vietnamese-carved illegal new ivory items into mainland China.

Details: Nairobi, Kenya: Save the Elephants, 2016. 88p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 22, 2016 at: http://savetheelephants.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/2016_VietnamReportFINAL_0.pdf

Year: 2016

Country: Vietnam

URL: http://savetheelephants.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/2016_VietnamReportFINAL_0.pdf

Shelf Number: 145603

Keywords:
Elephants
Illegal Ivory
Illegal Trade
Ivory
Rhinos
Wildlife Crime

Author: LaFontaine, Peter

Title: Elephant vs. Mouse: An investigation of the ivory trade on Craigslist

Summary: As perhaps the major online platform for classified advertisements, Craigslist.org has made a name for itself as a site where buyers can find just about anything - whether that's a used bicycle, rare book, or, as this report will show, an expensive ivory carving or elephant hide boots. We wanted to better understand the scope and scale of the ivory trade on Craigslist; if the site was currently a venue for trade in ivory and elephant parts, it could also be a potential partner in the fight to reverse the tide of poaching.

Details: Yarmouth Port, MA: International Fund for Animal Welfare, 2015

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 22, 2016 at: http://www.ifaw.org/sites/default/files/IFAW-craigslist-ivory-report-2015.pdf

Year: 2015

Country: International

URL: http://www.ifaw.org/sites/default/files/IFAW-craigslist-ivory-report-2015.pdf

Shelf Number: 144862

Keywords:
Elephants
Illegal Trade
Ivory
Wildlife Crime

Author: Partnership Africa Canada

Title: Reap What You Sow: Greed and Corruption in Zimbabwe's Marange Diamond Fields

Summary: The Marange diamond fields of eastern Zimbabwe could be the country's salvation. Often described as the biggest diamond discovery of a generation, Marange has undoubtedly put Zimbabwe on the diamond map. Managed right, it could have been the transformational vehicle through which the country turns around its failing economic fortunes, while also serving as an example to other African countries blessed with mineral riches. But since its discovery in 2006, Marange's potential has been overshadowed by violence, smuggling, corruption, and most of all, lost opportunity. The chief custodian of Marange is Obert Mpofu, the country's Minister of Mines. For individuals or companies wanting to secure a mining concession to exploit a slice of Marange's riches, it is ostensibly Minister Mpofu that they need to convince of the merits of their application. After President Robert Mugabe, whose office is vested with the ultimate authority over the country's natural resources, Mpofu is in theory the gatekeeper and arbiter of everything to do with Marange. In practice, however, he has deferred many of these responsibilities to the country's military chiefs. His ministerial duties also require that he serve the public good and best interests of the Zimbabwean people by responsibly managing Marange. But on his watch, the world has seen perhaps the biggest single plunder of diamonds since Cecil Rhodes. Conservative estimates place the theft of Marange goods at almost $2 billion since 2008. Far from defending the best interests of Zimbabwe, Minister Mpofu has presided over a ministry that has awarded concessions to dubious individuals with no prior mining experience, often under very questionable terms or circumstances. Due diligence of miners has been an afterthought. As Minister he has solicited and approved applications from members of Zimbabwe's security forces, including those implicated in human rights abuses in Marange. There is little consistency in how concessions are awarded, other than to ensure the details of any deal are opaque and as far beyond the scrutiny of government ministers and the public as possible. The scale of illegality is mind blowing. One confidential geologist report cited by the August 2010 Kimberley Process Review Mission to Zimbabwe claimed "in excess of 10,000,000 carats have been removed by artisanal effort over the last three years" - an amount worth almost $600,000,000 at today's depressed prices. The Review Mission also estimated illegal mining at 60,000 carats a month, ranking the illicit Marange trade at between 7th and 10th in overall world diamond production. Hundreds of millions of dollars owed to Zimbabwe's Treasury have been lost in both illegal and legal trades. Determining the actual amount is impossible, but in February 2011 fiscal update the Finance Minister Tendai Biti complained US$300 million collected by Zimbabwean Minerals Development Corporation (ZMDC) and the Mineral Marketing Commission of Zimbabwe (MMCZ) - two parastatals under Mpofu's remit - had not arrived in state coffers.

Details: Ottawa: Partnership Africa Canada, 2012, 36p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 8, 2016 at: http://www.pacweb.org/Documents/diamonds_KP/Reap_What_You_Sow-eng-Nov2012.pdf

Year: 2012

Country: Zimbabwe

URL: http://www.pacweb.org/Documents/diamonds_KP/Reap_What_You_Sow-eng-Nov2012.pdf

Shelf Number: 145375

Keywords:
Corruption
Diamonds
Environmental Crimes
Illegal Mining
Illegal Trade
Natural Resources

Author: Jaekel, Theo

Title: Far From Reality: How the EU falls short in preventing the illicit trade of conflict minerals

Summary: In recent years, international efforts have sought to address issues related to the illicit trade of conflict minerals fueling conflicts across the globe. One such initiative is reflected in Section 1502 of the U.S. Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Act, passed in 2010, which targets companies listed on the U.S. stock exchange using conflict minerals in their products. The provision requires such companies to carry out supply chain due diligence and to annually report on this issue. The Dodd-Frank Act has led to an increased application of various other international guidelines and norms, as well as new national legislation in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), one of the most mineral rich countries in the world. Important developments in the DRC in recent years include: 1) requirements on mining operations to be validated in order to legally trade minerals, and 2) a traceability system designed to increase transparency in the supply chain. There are however severe challenges in the implementation of the new regulations, and much work remains to be done in order to establish functional and trusted frameworks. Miners interviewed by Swedwatch during a field trip to the DRC tell of harsh and dangerous working environments and dire economic conditions. Government officials experience problems in regards to insufficient funding, and therefore lack the capacity to validate and monitor mining activities, and enforce the rule of law. Mining companies lose a substantial share of minerals to smugglers who circumvent the legal requirements. And NGO�s report widespread corruption among government authorities, compromising the traceability and validation systems, as well as lack of engagement and tax avoidance by large mining companies. Despite their differences, key stakeholders in the DRC agree that EU legislation is needed to tackle the systemic flaws within the mining industry. On 15 June 2016, after months of negotiations, the EU agreed an outline deal on a new regulation on conflict minerals due diligence. The agreement is a welcome step in the right direction, but the compromise fails to address key issues and this may undermine the purpose of the legislation itself. The main critical gap relates to the scope of the agreement only applying to upstream companies. The agreed scope covers only a fraction of minerals that end up in the EU - requiring only upstream companies, i.e. smelters/refiners, to conduct due diligence. Downstream companies, placing minerals on the EU market in the form of finished products, such as mobile phones, laptops and cars, are exempt. Already existing standards, such as the OECD Guidance, include clear provisions for both upstream and downstream companies to conduct on-going due diligence. Thus, the entire supply chain of minerals is covered and engages each actor in the chain. The EU agreement fails to live up to the existing standards. Legislation requiring all companies to conduct due diligence was an opportunity for the EU to address the severe and pressing human rights risks in global supply chains of conflict minerals. Instead, the negotiations reached only a partial solution.

Details: Stockholm: Swedwatch, 2016. 38p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 14, 2016 at: http://www.swedwatch.org/sites/default/files/tmp/80_kongo_enkelsidor.pdf

Year: 2016

Country: Europe

URL: http://www.swedwatch.org/sites/default/files/tmp/80_kongo_enkelsidor.pdf

Shelf Number: 144865

Keywords:
Conflict Minerals
Illegal Mining
Illegal Trade
Illicit Trade
Natural Resources

Author: International Fund for Animal Welfare

Title: An Investigation of Hawaii's Online Ivory Trade

Summary: Over the last decade, surging consumer demand for ivory has triggered a nearly unprecedented poaching wave, one that threatens to drive African elephants toward extinction unless the killing - and demand for tusks and carvings - is halted soon. Many countries including the United States have moved this issue to the top of their conservation policy agendas, most importantly by restricting their domestic ivory markets. The U.S. federal government is expected to finalize a strong ivory trade ban soon that will address imports, exports, and interstate trade, and several states have passed laws to complement the federal rule by restricting intrastate ivory commerce. Hawai'i, which has perhaps the country's biggest remaining market for ivory products, is poised to follow suit. These local efforts are crucial to stopping sales of illegally-imported items - Law enforcement officials estimate that some 90% of smuggled shipments leak past border inspections and find their way into the marketplace, where they are largely indistinguishable from older, legal ivory. For this report, investigators compiled advertising and sales data from 47 Hawai'i-based retailers and individual sellers engaged in the online trade of elephant ivory and related wildlife products, including walrus tusks, whale teeth and bone, mammoth ivory, and hippopotamus teeth. They found a total of 4,661 products in stock or for sale, with an overall value of more than $1.22 million, over a six-day period. The vast majority of this inventory (85.5%) was elephant ivory. Few of these retailers provided any evidence that their wares had been legally imported into the state. Some 28% of the sellers (14 of 47) referred to their advertised items as being "pre-ban," "antique," or "vintage," but only one of the 47 provided supplemental documentation of legal import. Taken together, this large overall inventory and scant proof of legality are cause for concern. Add to this the fact that Hawaii is a known destination for illegal ivory shipments, and the case grows for strong restrictions on intrastate ivory sales.

Details: IFAW, 2016. 20p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 19, 2016 at: http://www.ifaw.org/sites/default/files/IFAW-2016-Hawaii-Market-Report.pdf

Year: 2016

Country: United States

URL: http://www.ifaw.org/sites/default/files/IFAW-2016-Hawaii-Market-Report.pdf

Shelf Number: 145898

Keywords:
Animal Poaching
Elephants
Illegal Trade
Ivory
Smuggling
Wildlife Crime

Author: Clague, Chris

Title: The Illicit Trade Environment Index

Summary: The nature of illicit trade makes its size hard to determine. Enabled by varying combinations of corruption, incompetence and indifference, it defies all but the broadest estimates. Yet, there's sufficient anecdotal evidence to suggest that the volume of counterfeit and mis-declared goods, drugs, weapons and other types of illicit trade moving across borders has been increasing and will continue to do so. History has shown that illicit trade tends to follow the same routes as its licit counterpart. As the Asian region continues to integrate through agreements like the Trans-Pacific Partnership, the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, and the ASEAN Economic Community, there will be opportunities for more trade of both types. There is widespread agreement on the factors that together can create an environment where illicit trade flourishes. The Economist Intelligence Unit created the Illicit Trade Environment Index to score 17 economies in Asia on the extent to which they enable illicit trade. Economies with the best environment are those taking the most action on the issue while economies that do little score worst. Key findings from the research are: l Australia (85.2 out of 100) tops the overall rankings, with New Zealand (81.8) and Hong Kong (81.4) not far behind. l Although it scores well on customs environment, Singapore (69.8) does worse than might be expected overall, mainly due to low scores in the transparency and trade category. The bottom half of the rankings is comprised mainly of developing economies, with Myanmar (10.8), Laos (12.9), and Cambodia (23.9) performing the worst. China (61.6) scores better than its reputation would suggest on the strength of improving intellectual property protection and increasing transparency. While there have been encouraging signs that more is being done to combat illicit trade, many economies in the region - not all of them developing - clearly have more to do in this area. The Illicit Trade Environment Index and this paper are meant to stimulate discussion in these economies and elsewhere.

Details: London: The Economist, Intelligence Unit, 2016. 21p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed November 11, 2016 at: http://illicittradeindex.eiu.com/ECC%20Illicit%20trade%20paper%20V9_Oct12.pdf

Year: 2016

Country: International

URL: http://illicittradeindex.eiu.com/ECC%20Illicit%20trade%20paper%20V9_Oct12.pdf

Shelf Number: 146682

Keywords:
Illegal Trade
Illicit Trade
Smuggling of Goods

Author: Johnston, Nick

Title: Cigarette Smuggling: Poland to Sweden

Summary: Cigarette smuggling is a multibillion dollar industry which directly feeds off government revenue. Within the European Union (EU) there are losses of around 11.3 billion euro in tax revenue each year as a result of this criminal activity. The unique socioeconomic environment of the EU coupled with the open borders policy provides smugglers with opportunities to make incredible profits. The demand for cheap tobacco products across Europe is high so the illicit production industry is a viable market for many to capitalize on. Attempts to curtail the trade are weighed down by ineffective legislation and limited resources. The limited legal repercussions and immense profit margins make the cigarette smuggling an incredibly attractive enterprise. Smugglers to convey their supply from Poland, Belarus and the Baltic states up to Sweden and Norway where they can make profit margins of up to 1000%. The methods used to transport the contraband can be as intuitive as they are audacious. Ranging from flying in small aircraft into abandoned Swedish airports to smuggling in thousands of cigarettes in a concrete segment of a bridge awaiting construction. This report explores the extent of the illegal tobacco trade within the EU, detailing how government institutions are affected. There is a special focus on cigarette trends in Poland, which is the prevailing origin of tobacco products within the EU. Through uncovering the plights of the system which allows for illicit trade to flow through, the report provides recommendations for all levels of law enforcement, from local to international, on addressing the growing issue.

Details: Stockholm: SWE: Institute for Security & Development Policy, 2016. 42p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed November 22, 2016 at: http://isdp.eu/content/uploads/2016/10/Cigarette-Smuggling-Report-2016.pdf

Year: 2016

Country: Europe

URL: http://isdp.eu/content/uploads/2016/10/Cigarette-Smuggling-Report-2016.pdf

Shelf Number: 147312

Keywords:
Cigarette Smuggling
Cigarettes
Illegal Trade
Organized Crime

Author: Obale, Offah

Title: From Conflict to Illicit: Mapping the Diamond Trade from Central African Republic to Cameroon

Summary: The Central African Republic (CAR) is the only source of traditionally defined conflict diamonds in the world today. Since May 2013, exports of its diamonds have been under international embargo by both the United Nations and the Kimberley Process (KP), the initiative that regulates the production and trade of rough diamonds. CAR was suspended from the KP after a March 2013 coup d'état that sparked widespread civil unrest in the country. The coup was the inevitable outcome of years of political instability forged by a coalition of rebel groups, known as Seleka, who attacked the government and incrementally seized territory, including the strategic diamond-mining town of Bria. On March 24, 2013 Séléka captured the capital city of Bangui and overthrew the government, initiating a bitter internal conflict that continues to fester to this day. The civil war and regime change forced the United Nations and the international community to impose economic sanctions on CAR. Not only were all diamond exports prohibited, the KP urged diamond-trading countries to exercise enhanced vigilance and ensure that diamonds produced in CAR were seized and not allowed to circulate in legitimate trade. While the ban on CAR’s exports was partially lifted in 2016 from regions deemed to be KP compliant, that has not stopped the flow of CAR's conflict diamonds to international markets—while it was under full embargo or regions still prevented from trading today. This report examines the smuggling of diamonds from the Central African Republic into Cameroon. Further, it focuses on the impact this illicit trade has on Cameroon’s internal controls as well as the broader integrity of the diamond supply chain. The report describes the methods used and the key actors involved in this illicit trade. It concludes that the KP and frontline countries like Cameroon need to do more to interrupt the illicit trade of conflict diamonds from CAR and support each other in taking action.

Details: Ottawa: Partnership Africa Canada, 2016. 36p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed December 2, 2016 at: http://pacweb.org/images/PUBLICATIONS/from-conflict-to-ilicit-eng-web.pdf

Year: 2016

Country: Africa

URL: http://pacweb.org/images/PUBLICATIONS/from-conflict-to-ilicit-eng-web.pdf

Shelf Number: 147323

Keywords:
Conflict Diamonds
Conflict Minerals
Diamonds
Illegal Trade
Illicit Trade
Smuggling

Author: Fay, Emily Victoria

Title: Trading in antiquities on eBay: the changing face of the illicit trade in antiquities

Summary: The sale of ancient objects on eBay is presented to buyers as legitimate and ethical. However the antiquities trade is a grey market, where both licit and illicit objects are sold (Bowman, 2008). An unknown percentage of illicit antiquities have entered the market as a consequence of archaeological looting. However, antiquities are fungible by nature, meaning that it is very difficult for buyers to differentiate the licit from the illicit. This thesis is based on the premise that the antiquities trade causes harm through the destruction of archaeological knowledge, and therefore there is a necessity to reduce the size of the market. Using Sutton's market reduction approach, the study sets out to collect empirical data on the market from eBay. The thesis considers three main research questions: First, is the current regulatory framework for the sale of antiquities adequate? Second, what is the scale and scope of the market on eBay for antiquities? Third, what are the routine features of the operation of this market? The thesis adopts routine activity theory to investigate the structural elements of the antiquities market, outlining the actors involved in the market, the reasons why antiquities make "suitable targets", and exploring the range of 'capable guardians' who may play a formal or informal role in the surveillance of this market. The data indicates eBay has expanded the size and reach of the antiquities trade, enabling amateurised actors to trade on a global scale. However, the online "frame" (Goffman, 1969) of eBay auctions creates additional challenges through the separation of goods and actors and the fluidity of identity in cyberspace. The thesis ends with an examination of the distal and proximal nodes of governance in online environments and the ideological, definitional, evidentiary, legislative and structural challenges to addressing the illicit antiquities trade at the market end.

Details: Keele, UK: Keele University, 2013. 436p.

Source: Internet Resource: Dissertation: Accessed December 5, 2016 at: http://eprints.keele.ac.uk/197/1/Fay%20PhD%202013.pdf

Year: 2013

Country: International

URL: http://eprints.keele.ac.uk/197/1/Fay%20PhD%202013.pdf

Shelf Number: 140279

Keywords:
Antiques
Antiquities
Illegal Markets
Illegal Trade
Illicit Trade

Author: Kleinschmit, Daniela

Title: Illegal logging and related timber trade: dimensions, drivers, impacts and responses

Summary: This report entitled "Illegal Logging and Related Timber Trade: Dimensions, Drivers, Impacts and Responses" presents the results of the fifth global scientific assessment undertaken by the GFEP initiative. The report set out to gain deeper understanding of the meaning of illegal logging and related timber trade, its scale, drivers and consequences. It provides a structured synthesis of available scientific and expert knowledge on illegal logging and associated timber trade while adding to existing studies and reports by sharing new insights, including a criminology perspective and new information about timber and timber product trade flows as well as exploring future policy options and governance responses. This assessment report and the accompanying policy brief provide an authoritative source of information for policymakers and stakeholders involved in the fight against illegal logging and associated timber trade, in order to support effective action in tackling this pressing global problem.

Details: Vienna: International Union of Forest Research Organizations (IUFRO), 2016. 148p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed IUFRO World Series Volume 35: Accessed December 20, 2016 at: http://www.illegal-logging.info/sites/files/chlogging/IUFRO_illegallogging.pdf

Year: 2016

Country: International

URL: http://www.illegal-logging.info/sites/files/chlogging/IUFRO_illegallogging.pdf

Shelf Number: 146000

Keywords:
Forests
Illegal Logging
Illegal Trade
Offenses Against the Environment

Author: Treanor, Naomi Basik

Title: China's Hongmu Consumption Boom: Analysis of the Chinese Rosewood Trade and Links to Illegal Activity in Tropical Forested Countries

Summary: Over the past decade, Chinese demand for classic furniture made from slow-growing hardwood species collectively known as hongmu, encompassing rosewood species and others such as Padauk, has soared. The majority of furniture is both manufactured and consumed within China, as indicated by the trade balance reflecting high levels of log and sawnwood imports and lower levels of roundwood equivalent (RWE) furniture exports. China's rosewood log and sawnwood imports, on an unprecedented rise since 2010, hit an all-time high in 2014, while exports of rosewood products have declined severely. Unfortunately, much of the world's valuable rosewoods are being depleted at an alarming rate, with the global trade in rosewood suffering from high rates of illegal harvesting, transport, and trade. These illegal practices have exacerbated the destruction of complex ecosystems in some of the world’s most biodiverse forests and in many cases have negatively impacted the livelihoods of forest-dependent people who rely on hongmu as a source of fuel and medicine. China is in a unique position to take a leadership role to ensure that only legally and sustainably sourced rosewood enters the country, given the large role that Chinese traders,2 manufacturers, retailers, and consumers play in the global harvesting and trade of rosewood. The Chinese government has already put in place a system of rules and regulations for product quality assurance for the import and processing of rosewood that is enforced by a wide number of government agencies (Box 1), but does not address issues related to sustainable or legal harvesting, transportation, or import of hongmu species. This system could serve as the foundation for more direct action to ensure legality and sustainability. This paper analyzes recent trends in Chinese rosewood trade, using import data from China Customs from 2000 to 2014. It then synthesizes existing literature highlighting widespread violations of national laws and regulations in source countries that are occurring in the harvesting and trade of rosewood, particularly in key countries in Africa and Asia. It concludes with policy recommendations for Chinese policy-makers and other actors, which would foster the trade in legal hongmu species, mainly through use of existing mechanisms and guidelines, but also by increasing coordination with Hong Kong and ensuring better enforcement of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).

Details: Washington, DC: Forest Trends, 2015. 48p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed December 23, 2016 at: http://www.forest-trends.org/documents/files/doc_5057.pdf

Year: 2015

Country: China

URL: http://www.forest-trends.org/documents/files/doc_5057.pdf

Shelf Number: 146423

Keywords:
Forest Products
Forests
Illegal Logging
Illegal Trade
Offenses Against the Environment
Rosewood

Author: World Customs Organization

Title: Illicit Trade Report 2013

Summary: The 2013 edition of the WCO Illicit Trade Report continues a new paradigm set last year, where the results of the work undertaken by the global Customs community to fight cross-border crime are being released to the general public. The toxic and corrosive nature of illicit trade and organized transnational crime harms economic growth and job creation, challenges the rule of law, robs governments of needed revenue and threatens human rights and quality of life, and thus requires a strong, internationally coordinated response. This Report focuses on five major areas addressed by Customs enforcement on a daily basis: environmental crime and illegal trade in natural resources; intellectual property infringements and trade in substances that pose a threat to public health and safety; smuggling and counterfeiting of excisable goods, such as tobacco and alcohol, as well as illicit financial flows; trade in illegal drugs; and illegal trade in dangerous and prohibited goods. The Report Sections address these areas using a common methodology: Customs seizures recorded in the WCO Customs Enforcement Network are analysed to develop trends and patterns concerning the aforementioned areas of enforcement. The Report also contains information on the results of international enforcement programmes, projects and operations conducted in 2013 that were organized and coordinated by the WCO, its international partners and its Member administrations in the five enforcement areas covered in the Report. We are particularly pleased to note that in 2013 more WCO Members reported their seizures to the CEN than in 2012. While much work still needs to be done, this is an important step towards shedding more light on the parallel and underground economy, and it serves as tangible proof of the commitment of the global enforcement community to address these challenges. Knowing the importance of high-quality information for policymakers, the WCO will continue working with its Members to improve the quality of seizure data, and increase its input into CEN. More complete information will allow the WCO and the Regional Intelligence Liaison Offices to provide a better service to the global Customs community. This Report will contribute to the WCO's growing pool of knowledge that will support analysis of, and actions against illicit trade. Given that the current year has been designated as the WCO Year of Communication, we are delighted to be able to share with you the valuable information contained in this Report.

Details: Brussels: World Customs Organization, 2014. 116p.

Source: Internet Resource: http://www.wcoomd.org/~/media/wco/public/global/pdf/topics/enforcement-and-compliance/activities-and-programmes/illicit-trade-report/illicit-2013-_-en_lr2.pdf?db=web

Year: 2014

Country: International

URL: http://www.wcoomd.org/~/media/wco/public/global/pdf/topics/enforcement-and-compliance/activities-and-programmes/illicit-trade-report/illicit-2013-_-en_lr2.pdf?db=web

Shelf Number: 146008

Keywords:
Counterfeiting of Goods
Customs Seizurres
Environmental Crime
Illegal Trade
Intellectual Property
Natural Resources
Smuggling of Goods

Author: Tobacco Institute of India

Title: The Threat of Growing Illegal Cigarette Trade in India: Adversely Impacting Legal Industry, Government Revenue and Livelihood

Summary: Illegal Cigarette trade comprising international smuggled and locally manufactured tax-evaded cigarettes accounts for as much as 1/5th of the Cigarette Industry in India. Extremely high tax rates and constantly increasing tax rates on Cigarettes provide a profitable opportunity for tax evasion by illegal trade in both international smuggled and domestic tax evaded cigarettes

Details: New Delhi: Tobacco Institute of India, 2015. 20p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 10, 2017 at: http://www.tiionline.org/bookpublications/threat-of-growing-illegal-cigarette-trade-in-india-july-2015/

Year: 2015

Country: India

URL: http://www.tiionline.org/bookpublications/threat-of-growing-illegal-cigarette-trade-in-india-july-2015/

Shelf Number: 146002

Keywords:
Cigarette Taxes
Illegal Cigarette Trade
Illegal Cigarettes
Illegal Tobacco Trade
Illegal Trade
Smuggling
Tobacco Industry

Author: Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA)

Title: System Failure: The UK's Harmful Trade in Electronic Waste

Summary: Electronic waste, or e-waste, is the common term for electronic goods at the end of their 'useful life'. Computers, mobile phones and televisions are all types of electronic goods classified as hazardous waste under the Basel Convention, an international treaty regulating cross-border trade in harmful waste. Due to the proliferation of electronic devices and accelerated technology advances, an increasing amount of e-waste is created every year. It is the fastest-growing waste stream in the UK, with more than one million tonnes generated annually. Globally, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) estimates annual production of e-waste to be 50 million tonnes, of which only 10 per cent is recycled. E-waste can be highly hazardous to both the environment and human health due to the substances it contains. A computer processor has an array of dangerous metals and chemicals such as antimony trioxide, polybrominated flame retardants, selenium, cadmium and mercury. Cathode ray tubes (CRT) found in older-style bulky TVs and desktop computers often contains large amounts of lead. As well as potentially harmful materials, e-waste may also contain small amounts of valuable metals such as gold and copper. A range of regulations at the international, regional and national levels govern trade in e-waste. The intent is to promote safe recycling of broken electronic equipment and to enable legitimate trade in used, working equipment. In reality, huge quantities of discarded e-waste end up being illegally traded around the world. The European Union, despite strong legislation, is a major source of e-waste which is illegally exported and dumped in developing countries. An estimated 75 per cent of e-waste generated in the EU, equivalent to eight million tonnes a year, is unaccounted for. The destination countries do not have the infrastructure to recycle e-waste safely. Instead, it is processed manually in scrap yards with no consideration for health and safety. The e-waste is stripped down to components by hand. Copper wires are bundled and set alight to remove flame-resistant coatings, emitting toxic dioxins; CRT monitors are smashed with hammers, releasing plumes of lead and cadmium dust. After the useful metals are taken out, leftover parts are often dumped in landfills or rivers, or simply burnt. Poverty in countries where e-waste is illegally dumped often leads to young children being involved in breaking down the electronic goods. The potential health consequences for those involved in this kind of work are dire-reproductive and developmental problems, damaged immune, nervous and blood systems, kidney damage and impaired brain development in children. Much of Europe's e-waste ends up in West Africa, especially Nigeria and Ghana. As developing nations' economies grow so does demand for electronic goods, especially good quality secondhand equipment; yet consignments of such equipment arriving in West African ports are mostly e-waste, with about 75 per cent of the electronic units arriving found to be broken. Importers seem willing to bring in containers mostly filled with e-waste because the demand for electronics is so high that buyers are prepared to purchase untested items. The scale of this trade is enormous; in Nigeria's capital, Lagos, half a million computers arrive every month.6 Much of this export from Europe is carried out by West African nationals, often termed 'waste tourists', with family or business contacts in countries such as the UK.

Details: London: EIA, 2011. 17p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 17, 2017 at: http://www.greencustoms.org/docs/EIA_E-waste_report_0511_WEB.pdf

Year: 2011

Country: United Kingdom

URL: http://www.greencustoms.org/docs/EIA_E-waste_report_0511_WEB.pdf

Shelf Number: 146294

Keywords:
Electronic Waste
Environmental Crimes
Illegal Trade
Illegal Waste
Offenses Against the Environment
Pollution

Author: Stiles, Daniel

Title: Ivory Trade, Terrorism and U.S. National Security: How Connected Are They?

Summary: EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1. This report examines the contention advanced by the United States government that poached ivory is being used to finance insurgency and terrorist groups in Africa. 2. The report also analyzes whether any organized groups that engage in elephant poaching and ivory trafficking in Africa pose a national security threat to the United States, which also has been posited by the government. 3. The U.S. government has used these contentions as a justification for imposing severe new restrictions on the import, export and sale of elephant ivory in the U.S. as declared in USFWS Director's Order No. 210. 4. The three groups that have specifically been named in U.S. documents as financing their activities with poached ivory, and which pose a national security threat, are AlShabaab, the Lord's Resistance Army and the Janjaweed. Each of these groups is examined in this report. 5. This report concludes that the only group under review that poses a national security threat to the U.S. is Al-Shabaab. The evidence that they engage in elephant poaching and finance their terrorist activities with ivory has been found lacking in credibility. 6. The Lord's Resistance Army has poached ivory and exchanged tusks for food and other goods, including possibly arms, at a low level. The LRA do not, however, pose a security threat to the U.S. 7. The Janjaweed have engaged in extensive elephant poaching and ivory trafficking, but they pose no current security threat to the U.S. The Janjaweed do not advocate an extremist Islamic philosophy such as that articulated by Al-Qaeda. Their hostile, scorched earth style military activities have been confined to non-Arab African populations of the Sudan and Central African Republic. 8. The severe new restrictions on trade in legal ivory already in the U.S., therefore, are based on a false premise. Restricting trade in legal ivory in the U.S. will have absolutely no effect on the financing of groups that pose a security threat to the U.S. 9. There is illegal ivory in the U.S. that has been smuggled in. The smuggling would no doubt continue even with further trade restrictions, as it is already illegal so new law will change nothing. The U.S. authorities have been ineffective in administering law already in existence, which is sufficient to control the illegal importation of new ivory from poached elephants if enforced properly. 10. The current elephant poaching crisis is caused by East Asian ivory dealers and carving factories buying poached ivory. Effective policy to reduce elephant poaching should therefore be directed at them, not at law-abiding American citizens.

Details: Unpublished report, 2014. 25p.

Source: Internet Resource: Confidential Draft: Accessed March 6, 2017 at: http://danstiles.org/publications/ivory/42.Ivory&National%20Security.pdf

Year: 2014

Country: Africa

URL: http://danstiles.org/publications/ivory/42.Ivory&National%20Security.pdf

Shelf Number: 146424

Keywords:
Animal Poaching
Elephants
Illegal Trade
Ivory
National Security
Terrorist Financing
Trafficking in Wildlife
Wildlife Crime

Author: Crosta, Andrea

Title: The White Gold of Jihad: Al-Shabaab and the Illegal Ivory Trade

Summary: Coordinated bomb attacks in Kampala, Uganda, on 11th July 2010, claimed the lives of 76 people as they watched the World Cup final and catapulted the terrorist group responsible, Somalia's al-Shabaab, onto the world stage. The threat presented by this militant Islamist group with close links to al-Qaeda dominated recent African Union talks in Uganda and has prompted moves to strengthen the AU peacekeeping mission in Somalia. But while attention is focused on sending more troops into the war-torn country, little attention is being paid to the ways in which al-Shabaab - a hard line, well-organized and compartmentalized organization - is financing its activities. Over the last 18 months, we've been investigating the involvement of al-Shabaab in trafficking ivory through Kenya, a trade that could be supplying up to 40% of the funds needed to pay salaries to its fighters. Kenya is no stranger to the threat posed by Somalia to its herds of elephants and rhinos, whose numbers are still recovering from the poaching onslaught suffered in the 1970s and ‘80s. Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) is constantly on the alert for incursions of Somali gangs – or bandits as locals call them – into the country's north eastern territory to poach elephants and rhinos. In 2007, 3 rangers died at the hands of Somali bandits as they crossed the Tana River on their way to Tsavo National Park. The incursion was halted but the cost in human life was high. All too often, however, the bandits slip across the border undetected, in their quest for the white trophy that is ivory. One can try to recount the poacher’s steps as they make their way to Meru National Park, east of Mount Kenya. In the early hours of the morning, a small group of elephants led by their matriarch approach a waterhole, unaware that three bandits are hiding just a few meters away, their AK-47 automatic rifles ready for action. With tusks worth nearly 3500 KSh or nearly US$50 per kilo, the elephants offer a lucrative prize to these trained ex-soldiers of Somali origin, desperate to make a living. The elephants begin to bathe in the mud of the waterhole. They have an acute sense of smell so the bandits know they have to act swiftly before the elephants can react to the threat of danger. The leader signals to the others as they fix their sights on the matriarch and a large male standing hunched together – the three calves won’t fetch enough money for them to bother with. A burst of automatic fire drops the two elephants instantly to the ground. The matriarch is fatally wounded but still alive as the bandits hack out her tusks, watched helplessly by the young calves. Shocked and traumatised, they will have little chance of surviving alone. The bandits load their prize and head out to safety. The leader takes out his cell phone and writes a quick message, ‘brother we have some goods to deliver, around 40 kilos, contact our cousins and lets make the deal’. In a Nairobi restaurant, a cell phone jerks into life and a young well-dressed Somali checks the screen. He reads the message carefully and takes out a notepad. The notepad reveals a page full of numbers and quantities in kilos. He marks down the amounts and adds them all together in his head. Using a small Iridium Sat phone he dials a number with a Somali prefix. On the other end, a man sitting in an office in Kismayo, Somalia picks up the call – is office is heavily guarded by Shabaab militiamen – their signature black flag waving on a pole above their heads . He notes down the quantities and sets a date for the pick-up. Unfortunately, poaching incidents likes Meru and illegal trafficking in ivory are still rampant in Africa. With demand soaring and a market price in Asia of over US$1500 per kilo, for most poaching gangs it is a simple matter of money. Moreover, the desperate political and economic situation in countries such as the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Central African Republic (CAR), Somalia or Sudan perpetuates the poaching, which continues to be among the most lucrative criminal activities available. However, in common with other criminal activities involving exploitation of resources and environmental destruction, the poaching is backed and driven by foreign interests, in this case by the flourishing markets in Asia. Today, law enforcement agencies around the continent work together with INTERPOL and other international agencies, such as the Lusaka Agreement Task Force, to fight the illegal trade in wildlife and to implement rules agreed under CITES, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species. It is well known that criminal syndicates are involved in the trade, using sophisticated smuggling methods, bribing port personnel and customs officials, and using their own entrepreneurial activities as a cover for their smuggling operations. For the last twenty years, Kenya has led the war against trade in ivory and rhino horn. Established in 1989, the KWS has been in the forefront not only of actively protecting Kenya’s wildlife and national parks, but also in investigating and arresting felons, and in international negotiations under CITES to try to maintain a ban on international trade in the face of strong opposition. Surrounded by porous borders, Kenya has long been a transit point for illegal ivory. In an attempt to crack down on this trade, KWS recently stepped up pressure at the country's ports and airports where ivory is smuggled out. As a result, dealers looking for fast money and an easier market have turned to a new player in the game – Al Shabaab.

Details: Los Angeles: Elephant Action League, 2016. 34p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 6, 2017 at: https://elephantleague.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Report-Ivory-al-Shabaab-Oct2016.pdf

Year: 2016

Country: Africa

URL: https://elephantleague.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Report-Ivory-al-Shabaab-Oct2016.pdf

Shelf Number: 146409

Keywords:
Animal Poaching
Elephants
Illegal Ivory
Illegal Trade
Ivory Trade
Terrorist Financing
Trafficking in Wildlife
Wildlife Crime

Author: KPMG

Title: Project Sun: A study of the illicit cigarette market in the European Union, Norway and Switzerland. 2014 Results

Summary: EXECUTIVE SUMMARYKEY FINDINGS• C&C consumption declined from 58.6 billion to 56.6 billion, equating to 10.4% of total consumption in 2014• C&C remained high in countries which border lower-priced non-EU markets• The UK, Greece and Italy all saw significant C&C growth• Flows from outside the EU grew by 10% in 2014 largely offsetting an intra-EU decline• Prices within the EU, especially in the Eastern EU, grew rapidly in order to meet the EU minimum exciserequirements by latest 2018• Flows of C&C between countries within the EU has fallen, equating to less than 15% of total illicit flows• IllicitWhites brand flows grew by 8% to 21.2 billion cigarettes in 2014 and accounted for 37% of totalC&C• Fest, American Legend and Jin Ling are the most prevalent IllicitWhite brand flows• IllicitWhites brand flows consumption was most prevalent in Poland, Italy, Spain and Greece

Details: London: KPMG, 2015. 336p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 7, 2017 at: http://kpmg.co.uk/creategraphics/2015/06_2015/CRT026736/files/assets/common/downloads/CRT026736%20Project%20SUN%20COMBINED%20v10.pdf

Year: 2015

Country: Europe

URL: http://kpmg.co.uk/creategraphics/2015/06_2015/CRT026736/files/assets/common/downloads/CRT026736%20Project%20SUN%20COMBINED%20v10.pdf

Shelf Number: 137584

Keywords:
Black Markets
Contraband Cigarettes
Contraband Tobacco
Illegal Cigarettes (Europe)
Illegal Tobacco
Illegal Trade

Author: International Crisis Group

Title: The Central African Crisis: From Predation to Stabilisation

Summary: he crisis that has plagued the Central African Republic (CAR) since December 2012, particularly predation by both authorities and armed groups, has led to the collapse of the state. Under the Seleka, bad governance inherited from former regimes worsened. Its leaders looted state resources and controlled the countrys illicit economic networks. Ending this cycle of predatory rule and moving peacefully to a state that functions and can protect its citizens requires CAR’s international partners to prioritise, alongside security, economic revival and the fight against corruption and illegal trafficking. Only a close partnership between the government, UN and other international actors, with foreign advisers working alongside civil servants in key ministries, can address these challenges. Governance under the short Seleka rule (March-December 2013) was deceptive: the regime proclaimed its positive intentions while, like its predecessors, plundering public funds and abusing power for self-enrichment. Though Seleka fighters were involved in illicit activities even before, once in power the movement asserted control of lucrative trafficking networks (gold, diamond and ivory). Their systematic looting destroyed what was already a phantom state. Retaliation by anti-balaka fighters against Muslims – the majority of traders are Muslim – aggravated the economic collapse. The economy fell apart even before the state; yet the current international intervention spearheaded by the G5 (African Union, UN, European Union, the U.S. and France) focuses for the most part on security. Troops are being mobilised, but if a principal cause of the conflict – entrenched predation – is left unaddressed, the international community will repeat the failures of its past interventions. Protecting citizens is important; but so too is rekindling economic activity and improving financial public management to help build an effective public governance system delivering services for all CAR citizens, both Muslim and Christian. A new UN mission (MINUSCA) will be deployed in September 2014. In addition to its current mandate – protecting civilians, assisting a political transition, supporting humanitarian work and monitoring human rights – it must change the incentive structure for better governance. It should prioritise rebuilding the economy and public institutions and fighting trafficking. The region and relevant multilateral organisations should be involved too. Targeted sanctions against spoilers in and outside CAR should be embedded in a more comprehensive strategy to revive the economy. Some politicians with ties to armed groups or who are eyeing what are for the moment hypothetical presidential elections could resist a tight partnership between the state and international community. But the transitional government's demand for strong international support offers an opportunity to forge such a partnership and adopt the policies essential to both stabilise the country and promote a change of governance.

Details: Brussels: International crisis Group, 2014. 37p.

Source: Internet Resource: Africa Report No. 219: Accessed March 8, 2017 at: https://d2071andvip0wj.cloudfront.net/the-central-african-crisis-from-predation-to-stabilisation.pdf

Year: 2014

Country: Africa

URL: https://d2071andvip0wj.cloudfront.net/the-central-african-crisis-from-predation-to-stabilisation.pdf

Shelf Number: 141376

Keywords:
Illegal Trade
Illegal Trafficking
Illicit Networks
Natural Resources
Political Corruption

Author: Cooke, Jennifer G.

Title: Africa's Wildlife Poaching and Trafficking Crisis: The Need for Urgent Action

Summary: The illicit trade in wildlife products has undergone a dramatic escalation in the last decade, developing into a multibillion dollar global criminal enterprise that is increasingly militarized, sophisticated, and deadly. In Africa, poaching and trafficking in ivory and rhino horn have had a devastating impact on conservation efforts. Equally alarming is the growing danger trafficking networks pose for human security and development and the growing nexus of wildlife trafficking, armed militant groups, deepening insecurity, and government corruption. A CSIS Africa Program conference on the issue examined the drivers of the current crisis and highlighted ways that African governments and their partners are working to combat wildlife poaching and trafficking.

Details: Washington, DC: Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), 2015. 24p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 8, 2017 at: https://csis-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/s3fs-public/legacy_files/files/publication/151113_Cooke_AfricaWildlifePoaching_Web.pdf

Year: 2015

Country: Africa

URL: https://csis-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/s3fs-public/legacy_files/files/publication/151113_Cooke_AfricaWildlifePoaching_Web.pdf

Shelf Number: 141377

Keywords:
Animal Poaching
Illegal Trade
Illicit Trade
Trafficking in Wildlife
Wildlife Crime
Wildlife Trafficking

Author: KPMG

Title: Project Sun: A study of the illicit cigarette market in the European Union, Norway and Switzerland. 2015 Results

Summary: Key findings • Counterfeit and Contraband (C&C) as a proportion of total consumption declined marginally from 10.4% in 2014 to 9.8% in 2015 • The total volume of C&C consumed in the EU was 53.0 billion cigarettes with France and Poland experiencing the highest volumes • If the C&C volume in the EU had been consumed legally, an additional tax revenue of €11.3 billion would have been raised • By 2010 all four participants had signed agreements with OLAF committing to additional supply chain controls. C&C from lower priced countries within the EU has since declined from 22.2 billion to 6.5 billion cigarettes • Legal domestic consumption remained stable against a backdrop of improved economic conditions in many countries, whilst non-domestic legal (ND(L)) increased, supported by travel trends • Increased anti-illicit trade activity and border security reflected by a doubling in the volume of OLAF supported seizures, contributed to this overall decline of C&C • Illicit Whites brand flows, with limited or no legal distribution in the EU, again accounted for over one third of C&C, of which 5.3 billion cigarettes had Belarusian labelling • Counterfeit identified by the four participating tobacco manufacturers increased by 28% but remains less than 9% of illicit cigarette consumption in Europe • The changing mix of source countries and the increasing number of Illicit Whites brands demonstrates the flexibility of illicit cigarette flows Counterfeit and Contraband (C&C) declined by 6% against a backdrop of improved economic conditions and increased anti-illicit trade activities • Personal Disposable Income (PDI) increased by an average of 2.6%(2) across all EU member states, which may have contributed to a stabilisation of Legal Domestic Sales, reversing a five year trend • Many countries, especially in the Eastern EU, experienced more stable prices compared with 2014 when tobacco taxes increased to meet minimum EU excise requirements • Increased anti-illicit trade activity, as evidenced by a rise in the number of seizures made across Europe, may also have contributed to the C&C decline C&C remained at around 10% of total consumption, with Illicit Whites and counterfeit representing a greater share of illicit consumption Sources: (1) EU Flows Model 2009 – 2015 Share of consumption (%) 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 3.7% 3.7% 3.7% 8.9% 9.9% 4.2% 5.0% 10.4% 12.6% 5.4% 14.1% 13.5% 15.2% 15.5% 15.8% 11.1% 10.5% 10.4% 5.9% 15.7% 9.8% Counterfeit and Contraband (C&C) Non-domestic legal (ND(L)) • Flows of C&C from outside of the EU were the largest component of C&C identified in the study • The overall proportion of Illicit Whites brand flows and counterfeit has grown to 44.3% in 2015 • The increased volume of seizures in Europe mainly identified counterfeit and Illicit Whites brand flows. Seizures of Duty Paid product from both within and outside the EU were limited C&C as a percentage of consumption was often highest in EU countries bordering lower priced non-EU countries • Eastern EU countries with high levels of C&C mainly bordered non-EU countries where average prices were 4 times lower • C&C as a percentage of consumption was also high in Greece, Norway, UK and Ireland, which also have the highest prices within Europe • Whilst not having the highest level of C&C as a proportion of consumption, the highest volume of C&C was identified in France Non-domestic legal (ND(L)) continued to increase against a backdrop of travel trends and price incentives Non-EU source products and counterfeit contributed an increasingly greater proportion of C&C The largest C&C source countries were those with the lowest prices on the Eastern EU border Illicit Whites brand flows continued to represent over one third of C&C in the EU, equating to 3.5% of total cigarette consumption Counterfeit experienced a 28% increase in volume, representing 9% of C&C consumption

Details: London: KPMG, 2016. 208p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 8, 2017 at: https://assets.kpmg.com/content/dam/kpmg/pdf/2016/06/project-sun-report.pdf

Year: 2016

Country: Europe

URL: https://assets.kpmg.com/content/dam/kpmg/pdf/2016/06/project-sun-report.pdf

Shelf Number: 141381

Keywords:
Black Markets
Contraband Cigarettes
Contraband Tobacco
Counterfeit Products
Illegal Cigarettes (Europe)
Illegal Tobacco
Illegal Trade

Author: De Greef, Kimon

Title: The booming illegal abalone fishery in Hangberg: Tough lessons for small-scale fisheries governance in South Africa

Summary: Marine capture fisheries around the world are widely perceived to be in a state of crisis, with growing recognition that conventional resource-centred management strategies are insufficient to counter ongoing problems of over-exploitation. This is considered particularly true in the small‐scale sector, which employs the overwhelming majority of the world's fishers but has historically been overlooked. To manage marine resources more sustainably, new approaches to fisheries governance have been sought that recognise the complex nature of fisheries systems, paying attention to the social dimensions of fisheries management in addition to important ecological processes. In South Africa, many of these new approaches have been embraced in a recently adopted policy for the small-scale sector. Attempts to reform marine fisheries have been ongoing in the country since the end of apartheid (a system of legalised racial segregation and white supremacy that ruled for almost 50 years) but have largely failed to bring meaningful change to impoverished fishing communities. Frustration at ineffective reform has contributed to widespread non-compliance - most notably in the abalone fishery, which has collapsed in the face of rampant poaching, driven by a lucrative, illegal export market to the Far East. Although the new small-scale fisheries (SSF) policy has been hailed as a progressive shift in thinking, questions remain about how it is to be implemented. One major challenge will be dealing with illegal fishing. The purpose of this study, was to profile the human dimensions of abalone poaching in the Cape Town fishing community of Hangberg and to draw lessons for implementing the new SSF policy. A qualitative multi-method research approach, based mainly on unstructured interviews and participant observation, was used to access the clandestine fishery and investigate its historical development, current structure, scale and methods of operation and main socio-economic drivers and impacts. It was found that abalone poaching has become deeply embedded in Hangberg, having evolved into a highly organized boat-based fishery in a period of less than 15 years. At least five local poaching groups - representing some 250 individuals in total - currently used dedicated high-powered vessels to access reefs around the Cape Peninsula. Profits earned from poaching are substantial but vary, with poachers operating according to a loose hierarchy and performing a range of different tasks in the fishery. This variation notwithstanding, the illegal fishery appears to have become a mainstay of the impoverished local economy, funding poachers' expensive lifestyles, in addition to contributing more meaningfully to the livelihoods of an estimated 1000 residents.

Details: Cape Town: University of Cape Town, 2013. 117p

Source: Internet Resource: Dissertation: Accessed May 6, 2017 at: https://open.uct.ac.za/handle/11427/9187

Year: 2013

Country: South Africa

URL: https://open.uct.ac.za/handle/11427/9187

Shelf Number: 145344

Keywords:
Abalone
Animal Poaching
Endangered Species
Illegal Fishing
Illegal Trade
Organized Crime
Overfishing
Wildlife Crimes (South Africa)

Author: Williams, Aled

Title: The resource bites back: Entry-points for addressing corruption in wildlife crime

Summary: Corruption has recently risen up the global wildlife conservation agenda with a series of international agreements highlighting the role of corruption in facilitating wildlife crime. Though there are notable exceptions, there is still a weak treatment in the literature of the problems of, and solutions to, wildlife crime from an anti-corruption perspective. Identifying and promoting effective interventions that get to the heart of the corruption problems associated with wildlife crime is a shared responsibility across the wildlife conservation, anti-corruption, anti-illicit trade, and anti-organized crime communities. As well as reviewing existing empirical literature to explore the types and characteristics of corruption associated with wildlife crime, this U4 Issue identifies entry-points for addressing corruption in wildlife crime based on recent anti-corruption effectiveness literature. Building credible corruption risk assessment and corruption risk management procedures is important for improving wildlife conservation programming. This will enable generation of detailed analyses of corruption risk factors at programmatic level, the recording of baseline data on corruption prevalence, and the production of detailed plans on how best to mitigate and manage identified corruption risks.

Details: Bergen: Chr. Michelsen Institute (U4 Issue 2016:2) 29p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed June 6, 2017 at: http://www.u4.no/publications/the-resource-bites-back-entry-points-for-addressing-corruption-in-wildlife-crime/

Year: 2016

Country: International

URL: http://www.u4.no/publications/the-resource-bites-back-entry-points-for-addressing-corruption-in-wildlife-crime/

Shelf Number: 145939

Keywords:
Animal Poaching
Corruption
Illegal Trade
Illicit Trade
Organized Crime
Wildlife Conservation
Wildlife Crime

Author: Reitano, Tuesday

Title: Libya: The Politics of Power, Protection, Identity and illicit Trade

Summary: Post-Revolution Libya has fractured into a volatile plethora of political ecosystems and protection economies, in which access to resources has become critical to survival. The struggle for control over illicit flows has shaped Libya's civil conflict and remains a decisive centrifugal force, actively preventing central state consolidation. Illicit flows exposed the deep fissures within Libyan society, divisions that the Gaddafi regime had controlled through a combination of force and the manipulation of economic interests in both the legitimate and illicit economy. The impact of illicit flows, however, has been different in different parts of the country: in a perverse resource triangle, coastal groups, while linked to the illicit economy (particularly through the control of ports and airports), have been paid by the state, while also relying on external financial support in a proxy war between competing interests centered in the Gulf. In the southern borderlands of the country, by contrast, control of trafficking, and the capture of the country's oil resources, have been key drivers in strengthening conflict protagonists. For some of the minority players in Libya's patchwork state, control over illicit resources became a way to bargain for attention in the transition. The gradual erosion of the legitimate economy following six years of protracted conflict and political stalemate has resulted in a status quo where the size and dynamism of illicit markets for fuel, human smuggling and subsidised goods far outweighs legitimate alternatives for several groups, thereby building the legitimacy of criminal actors over formal institutions. While the focus of much of the coverage of the external reporting of the Libyan conflict is on the divide between east and west, putting a spotlight on illicit trafficking also highlights the disparities between the coast and the interior. Unless the illicit economy, and the priorities of those who control it, are addressed holistically as part of the political transition, the possibilities for a peaceful settlement remain remote and the viability of the central state questionable. There are now no easy policy options.

Details: Tokyo: United Nations University Centre for Policy Research, 2017. 16p.

Source: Internet Resource: Crime-Conflict Nexus Series: No 3: Accessed June 16, 2017 at: https://i.unu.edu/media/cpr.unu.edu/attachment/2523/Libya-The-Politics-of-Power-Protection-Identity-and-Illicit-Trade-02.pdf

Year: 2017

Country: Libya

URL: https://i.unu.edu/media/cpr.unu.edu/attachment/2523/Libya-The-Politics-of-Power-Protection-Identity-and-Illicit-Trade-02.pdf

Shelf Number: 146193

Keywords:
Drug Trafficking
Illegal Trade
Illicit Markets
Illicit Trade
Organized Crime

Author: Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA)

Title: Repeat Offender: Vietnam's Persistent Trade in Illegal Timber

Summary: Despite growing global attention to the problem of illegal logging over the past 15 years, Vietnam continues to rely on imports of illicit timber to supply its burgeoning wood processing sector, especially from the neighbouring countries of Laos and Cambodia. Since 2007, EIA has repeatedly documented flows of illegal logs across the land border between Laos and Vietnam, and more recently from Cambodia. Vietnam has made strenuous efforts to increase its own forest cover, including strict controls on the logging of natural forests. In 2016, a total ban on logging natural forests was announced. By 2015, the country's forest cover had increased to 14.7 million hectares (44.6 per cent of total land area), compared with nine million hectares in 1990. At the same time, the Vietnamese Government has promoted the rapid expansion of an export-oriented wood processing sector, which has become the sixth largest in the world. In 2017, the country's exports of wood products are predicted to be worth $8 billion, compared with $7.3 billion in 2016. Vietnam's wood processing industry is heavily reliant on imports for the supply of raw materials, principally round logs and sawn timber. Imports have been growing at about 10 per cent a year, reaching 4.79 million m3 in 2015. While timber imports come from over 100 countries, the biggest source region is Asia, especially Laos and Cambodia. Overall, Vietnam relies of imports for at least 80 per cent of the raw materials consumed by its factories. Analysis of Vietnam's imports by source country indicates that in 2013, 18 per cent were judged to have a high risk of illegality. It is neighbouring countries which have borne the brunt of this illicit trade. Until 2015, Laos - which has a log export ban - was the largest single supplier of timber to Vietnam by value. Due to stronger political will in the country to curb illegal logging, it has now been supplanted by Cambodia, another neighbouring country which bans the export of raw timber. In 2015, Vietnam imported timber worth $386 million from Cambodia, a 52 per cent increase on the previous year, and $360 million from Laos. Combined, the two countries provided Vietnam with illicit timber worth almost three quarters of a billion dollars in a single year. This shift in sourcing has been driven solely by supply-side measures. Rather than improve its regulatory controls over imports of illicit timber, Vietnam has actually introduced measures to ease the flow of timber from Cambodia, once again showing flagrant disregard for the forest laws of its neighbouring countries.

Details: London: EIA, 2017. 20p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed June 21, 2017 at: https://eia-international.org/wp-content/uploads/Repeat-Offender.pdf

Year: 2017

Country: Vietnam

URL: https://eia-international.org/wp-content/uploads/Repeat-Offender.pdf

Shelf Number: 146336

Keywords:
Deforestation
Environmental Crime
Forests
Illegal Logging
Illegal Trade
Offenses Against the Environment

Author: KPMG

Title: Project Sun: study of the illicit cigarette market in the European Union, Norway and Switzerland

Summary: Project SUN is KPMG's annual study that estimates the scale and development of the illicit cigarette market in the EU, Norway and Switzerland, commissioned by the Royal United Services Institute for Defence and Security Services. Key findings: Counterfeit and contraband (C&C) declined by 8.8%, to 48.3 billion cigarettes in 2016, but still accounted for over 9% of total consumption C&C continued to account over 9% of total consumption, representing a tax loss of up to L10.2 billion, making illicit trade one of the largest major competitors within the cigarette market In many cases illicit trade hotspots remained while the brands and countries of origin changed, demonstrating how local demand for illicit cigarettes continued despite the changing routes and sources used by cigarette smugglers Organised crime groups engaged in the illicit cigarette trade are increasingly diverse in the routes and methods they employ and in the products they manufacture, transport and sell.

Details: London: KPMG, 2017. 234p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed August 4, 2017 at: https://assets.kpmg.com/content/dam/kpmg/uk/pdf/2017/07/project-sun-2017-report.pdf

Year: 2017

Country: Europe

URL: https://assets.kpmg.com/content/dam/kpmg/uk/pdf/2017/07/project-sun-2017-report.pdf

Shelf Number: 146716

Keywords:
Black Markets
Contraband Cigarettes
Contraband Tobacco
Illegal Cigarettes (Europe)
Illegal Tobacco
Illegal Trade
Illicit Trade
Organized Crime

Author: Partnership Africa Canada

Title: Fugitives and Phantoms: The Diamond Exporters of Brazil

Summary: Brazil's diamond sector is in crisis. Three of the country's largest diamond producers and exporters have been arrested and are now facing an array of criminal charges. A joint task force of Brazil's Federal Police, Federal Public Prosecutor's Office and Internal Revenue Service have alleged that the three are behind a mega scheme for smuggling diamonds using fraudulent Kimberley Certificates. According to police, the smuggled diamonds come partly from domestic garimpeiro production, partly from Indian reserves where diamond mining is outlawed, and partly from Africa. The head of Brazil's National Department of Mineral Production (DNPM) in Minas Gerais - responsible for issuing Kimberley Certificates - has also been arrested. He too, is facing charges, and has been fired from his post as Minas Gerais director. Diamond exports have been suspended while Brazil's Federal Police investigate the fraudulent export of nearly US$3 million dollars worth of diamonds by Hassan Ahmad, owner of a Belo Horizonte firm called Primeira Gema. This fraud, involving Brazil's Kimberley Certificate 64, was first uncovered by Partnership Africa Canada (PAC) in May 2005. Within the National Department of Mineral Production (DNPM), a special committee has been charged with examining the circumstances of Certificate 64 and making a report on the fraud by the middle of March 2006. The US$ 3 million Certificate 64 fraud, however, is but the tip of the iceberg. Further investigation by PAC has uncovered a wealth of evidence proving that for diamond exports from Brazil, fraud is not the exception, but the norm. In this report, PAC reveals that the same never-worked mining claims listed as the source of the diamonds in the US$3 million Certificate 64 scam are also given as the front for the diamonds in other fraudulent exports of nearly equal value. Furthermore, according to the DNPM's own statistics, the garimpeiro who owns these claims is Brazil's 6th largest diamond producer, responsible for 8.14% of Brazil's production in 2004. PAC's research reveals that this miner - who never once in his life touched a shovel - has been dead since 2001. In other words, Brazil's 6th largest diamond producer is a ghost. Brazil's fourth largest diamond producer, PAC also reveals in this report, is an indigent vagrant from Sao Paulo. In 2004, this phantom drifter produced nearly US$3.5 million worth of diamonds, 16.37% of Brazilian production, all of it exported with government issued Kimberley Certificates, none of them worth the paper they were printed on. Brazil's second largest diamond producer is a company named S.L. Mineradora, Ltda. Its owner, Paulo Traven of Juina, Mato Grosso, recently surrendered to Brazil's Federal Police, after spending a week as a fugitive on the run. After spending five days in jail, he was released, facing a variety of charges related to the illegal export of diamonds. On the production side, PAC reveals that some 25% of Brazil's diamond production by value came from fraudulent sources, and left the country with fraudulent Kimberley Certificates. Another 19% came from a source - Paulo Traven - who is now under criminal investigation. According to the production statistics, then, nearly 44% of Brazil's diamond production came from fraudulent or deeply suspect sources. The export statistics tell a similar tale. In this report, PAC reveals that some 53% of Brazil's exports by value in 2004 were the work of one man with a history in the African diamond trade, Hassan Ahmad. PAC demonstrates that Ahmad was almost certainly the perpetrator of the fraud involving Certificate 64. He, too, recently surrendered to Federal Police after spending a week on the run. He, too, is facing charges. Given this, there is good reason to suspect the legitimacy of Ahmad's other diamond exports. The production statistics, the export numbers, and PAC's research all point to one conclusion: 50% of Brazil's diamond production comes from fraudulent or highly suspect sources; one in two Brazilian Kimberley Certificates is probably false. Half the country's diamond exports are the work of fraudsters, fugitives and phantoms. In this report, PAC makes a number of recommendations for short, medium, and long-term reform of Brazil's system of internal diamond controls.

Details: Ottawa: Partnership Africa Canada, 2006. 20p.

Source: Internet Resource: Occasional Paper #3: Accessed August 5, 2017 at: http://www.shawnblore.com/Reports/FugitivesPhantoms.pdf

Year: 2006

Country: Brazil

URL: http://www.shawnblore.com/Reports/FugitivesPhantoms.pdf

Shelf Number: 146745

Keywords:
Conflict Diamonds
Illegal Trade
Mining Industry
Smuggling

Author: U.S. Chamber of Commerce

Title: Measuring the Magnitude of Global Counterfeiting: Creation of a Contemporary Global Measure of Physical Counterfeiting

Summary: Counterfeiting today represents a tremendous and ever increasing global threat. Counterfeit products- from goods and merchandise, tobacco products and industrial parts to currency and medicines - circulate across the globe. Yet these products cause real damage to consumers, industries and economies. First and foremost, counterfeit goods jeopardize consumers and pose a serious safety risk: fake toys contain hazardous and prohibited chemicals and detachable small parts; brake pads made of compressed grass; counterfeit microchips for civilian aircrafts; all these and many more may and tragically already have led to injuries and deaths. Counterfeit products also result in detrimental effects on economies due to decreased innovation, loss of revenue and taxation, and higher employment rate. Disturbingly, a growing body of evidence draws a clear link between physical counterfeiting and terrorist groups which exploit the easy-made money and high profit margin to fund terror activities around the world. The continuous growth of the global counterfeiting industry is a major cause for concern. Fueled by the proliferation of internet use and social media platforms, the magnitude of global physical counterfeiting is estimated to have increased considerably since the beginning of this century. One prominent example for this increase is reflected in the OECD's studies on global counterfeiting. In its first study from 2008 - The Economic Impact of Counterfeiting and Piracy - the OECD estimated that global trade of counterfeit goods accounted for 1.9% of world trade in 2007, or 250 billion USD. In its recently published study of 2016 - Trade in Counterfeit and Pirated Goods: Mapping the Economic Impact - the OECD now estimates that global trade-related counterfeiting accounts for 2.5% of world trade, or 461 billion USD. A key finding from these two OECD studies is that global counterfeiting has grown both organically with a growth rate of 0.6% (of its estimated share of world trade), and, since world trade has in itself increased constantly since 2009, also grown in its overall dollar figure. In this context, the US Chamber's Measuring the Magnitude of Global Counterfeiting study seeks to make a contribution to this growing body of literature and complement the OECD's work in two ways: 1. The study provides a deep-dive analysis of trade-related physical counterfeiting on a comparative level, and; 2. It provides a breakdown of the share of the global rate of physical counterfeiting (as both a percentage and with a USD figure) for the 38 economies included in the 2016 U.S. Chamber of Commerce's GIPC International IP Index (fourth edition published in February 2016) based on new modeling of an economy's propensity for counterfeiting, including factors such as broader levels of IP enforcement and estimated rates of corruption. The study makes the following key findings: 1. China alone is estimated to be the source for more than 70% of global physical trade-related counterfeiting, amounting to more than 285 billion USD. Physical counterfeiting accounts for the equivalent of 12.5% of China's exports of goods and over 1.5% of its GDP. China and Hong Kong together are estimated as the source for 86% of global physical counterfeiting, which translates into 396.5 billion USD worth of counterfeit goods each year. 2. Despite China and Hong Kong's dominant share of global counterfeiting, a considerable amount of physical counterfeiting activity as share of world trade can be attributed to other economies as well. Indeed, the level of counterfeiting activity attributed to some economies is substantial and bears significant economic and public health implications, both locally and internationally. 3. In addition to the modeled estimates of rates of global physical counterfeiting and percentage attributed to each economy, this report has also examined the value of seized counterfeit goods in the 38 economies sampled and the World Customs Organization (WCO). The value of counterfeit goods seized and reported by customs authorities today from our sample of 38 economies ($5.2 billion) represents slightly less than 2.5% of the global measure of physical counterfeiting of $461 billion dollars. This suggests that though customs authorities' activities yield results and their efforts are highly laudable, the extent of their successes still represents "a drop in an ocean." This does not mean to say that economies should not continue to step up efforts to combat counterfeiting. Recent actions taken by economies include enhancing customs authorities' scope of action, strengthening IP protection, introducing targeted measures aimed at deterring counterfeiting, and joining international trade and enforcement initiatives. Taken together, these steps are expected to increase economies' ability to limit counterfeiting activities both domestically and globally over time. 4. Our analysis of seizure data from customs authorities shows that the dearth of seizure data is acute. Of the 38 economies examined in this study, only a third of the customs authorities publish data. Moreover, only a small proportion of these publish reliable, consistent, and detailed seizure statistics. Additionally, the data are often focused on intermittent seizures of varying scope and so do not necessarily reflect systematic efforts against counterfeiting.

Details: Washington, DC: U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Global Intellectual Property Center, 2016. 40p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed August 30, 2017 at: http://www.theglobalipcenter.com/wp-content/themes/gipc/map-index/assets/pdf/2016/GlobalCounterfeiting_Report.pdf

Year: 2016

Country: International

URL: http://www.theglobalipcenter.com/wp-content/themes/gipc/map-index/assets/pdf/2016/GlobalCounterfeiting_Report.pdf

Shelf Number: 146943

Keywords:
Counterfeit Products
Counterfeiting
Illegal Trade
Organized Crime
Pirated Goods
Terrorist Financing

Author: Nkoke, Christopher Sone

Title: Ivory Markets in Central Africa: Market Surveys in Cameroon, Central African Republic, Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo and Gabon: 2007, 2009, 2014/2015

Summary: Weak governance, corruption and shifting trade dynamics are significant factors seriously undermining the control of ivory trafficking throughout five countries in Central Africa, according to a new TRAFFIC study launched today. Ivory Markets in Central Africa for investigations and analysis spanning a decade In the first comprehensive assessment of ivory trade in the region in nearly two decades, investigators from TRAFFIC visited major cities across Cameroon, Central African Republic (CAR), Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Gabon in 2007, 2009 and 2014/2015. The investigators posed as buyers at known and newly identified ivory markets and workshops throughout the Congo Basin, interviewing everyone that they encountered connected to the ivory industry. In addition, discussions were held overtly with major stakeholders, including government officials in the five countries. The illegal and unregulated domestic ivory markets in (each of) the five Central African countries have been one of the main sources fuelling ivory trade in the region, as well as in West and Southern Africa and beyond (especially to Asia) in recent years. The report's findings show that open ivory markets in the region are disappearing, largely due to increased enforcement and competition with underground criminal networks. In its place, high-level corruption and poor governance are helping enable sophisticated international trade. Corruption, Collusion and Weak Political Pressure Current legislation prohibits domestic ivory trade in all countries except Cameroon. However, according to the report "there is a loose and ambiguous interpretation of the law in all countries, not only by the authorities in charge of enforcement, but also by many other actors...enforcement efforts are hampered by corruption, often involving high-level governmental officials, insufficient human and financial resources, mismanagement and weak political will." In DRC, one ivory trader interviewed claimed to have a relative in the army who supplied him with raw ivory. He also alleged that the main suppliers are government officials and, to some extent, UN peace keepers, who have the ability to move around the country frequently. Also in DRC, researchers recorded well-informed claims that the FARDC, the country's official army, was one of the main groups responsible for elephant poaching in Virunga National Park, with the ivory exported by the non-State "Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda" (FDLR) to whom the army would sell arms and military equipment. Open Ivory Markets Shifting Underground Throughout the multi-year investigation, market research showed that the region's open illegal ivory markets are disappearing or going underground, often in the face of increasing pressure from authorities conducting frequent law enforcement operations. TRAFFIC investigators recorded less than 1 kg of ivory products openly displayed in 2014/2015 within CAR, Congo, Gabon and Cameroon, compared to around 400 kg in 2007, and more than 900 kg in 1999 between all four countries. The one exception was the ivory market in Kinshasa, DRC, where over 400 kg of ivory products were recorded in 2015. DRC, however, has recently committed to stronger enforcement against the illegal ivory market in Kinshasa, a milestone which TRAFFIC and WWF supported last month. Carved ivory items were said to be bought by a mixture of African and non-African buyers: the former mainly acting as middlemen for foreign buyers. In 2014/2015 80% of foreign buyers were ethnic Asians, especially Chinese but also Malaysians and Vietnamese. In earlier studies, in 2007 and 2009, other nationalities were more regularly mentioned as buyers including French, Japanese, Koreans, Lebanese, Portuguese, Russians, Spaniards, and US Americans, according to the report. Rising International Criminal Networks "The generally positive news contained in this report about the decline of Central African ivory markets needs to be weighed against the fact that, throughout this sub-region, there are still many issues to be addressed and underlying trade dynamics may be shifting beyond local markets," according to Sone Nkoke of TRAFFIC and lead author of the report. common theme heard throughout the sub-region were allegations concerning Chinese citizens operating within organized criminal networks as key actors in the ivory trade. The sharp increase in raw ivory prices locally in recent years was ascribed to "high demand and limited supply owing to the shift to exportation through transnational ivory networks and syndicates with greater financial resources." The study found that "ivory trade in the region is shifting from an open domestic retail trade of worked ivory to underground transactions with a focus on the export of raw ivory to foreign markets, especially China." Among other key issues identified was the lack of robust and transparent mechanisms in place to ensure effective management of stockpiles in all the target countries. In Kinshasa, DRC, the investigators found raw tusks and worked ivory pieces in unsecured government offices - signalling a high potential for leakage into the local market. In Bangui, Central African Republic, the investigators were unable to perform a stockpile survey in 2015 as the storage facility had been looted by rebels. "Real concerted efforts are needed to address the serious decline in elephant populations throughout Central Africa: this is no longer just a wildlife issue, but an ecological disaster strongly driven by highly-organized crime syndicates. Criminals involved in international ivory trade are regularly exploiting weak State governance, and official collusion, confusion and corruption," said Sone Nkoke. "Clearly Central African countries face significant governance and enforcement challenges in regulating elephant poaching and ivory trafficking. They urgently need to ramp up their efforts to implement a range of commitments that they have made at multiple international fora over the last ten years," said Paulinus Ngeh, Director of the TRAFFIC Central Africa Regional Office. "Such efforts will need to be continuously and transparently monitored for quality and action." Central African States have pledged commitments to stop elephant poaching and illegal ivory trade under CITES, the African Union Common Wildlife Strategy, and other regional strategies, as well as under the United Nations fora on combatting corruption. Follow-through on these commitments is crucial to sustain wildlife in the region.

Details: Yaounde, Cameroon and Cambridge, UK: TRAFFIC, 2017. 116p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 9, 2017 at: http://www.traffic.org/home/2017/9/7/new-traffic-study-lifts-lid-on-central-africa-ivory-markets.html

Year: 2017

Country: Africa

URL: http://www.traffic.org/home/2017/9/7/new-traffic-study-lifts-lid-on-central-africa-ivory-markets.html

Shelf Number: 147176

Keywords:
Animal Poaching
Elephants
Illegal Markets
Illegal Trade
Illegal Wildlife Trade
Ivory
Organized Crime
Political Corruption
Trafficking in Wildlife
Wildlife Crime

Author: Shaw, Mark

Title: Africa's Changing Place in the Global Criminal Economy

Summary: Africa's role in the global criminal economy is shifting. This is a function of several factors, including changes in African and global illicit markets, as well as the kinds of vulnerabilities that have marked the continent's recent history. This shift has happened in a fairly short space of time - notably over the last two decades. Tracking this change is challenging, however. Data is scarce given that research on how Africa is connected to the global criminal economy is but in its infancy. But if the detrimental effects on Africa caused by global illicit markets and organised crime could be efficiently captured and measured - in terms of lost lives and lost livelihoods, poor governance, conflict, the obliteration of natural resources (such as rare animal species) - then the cumulative damage would no doubt be clearer for all to see. The results would highlight the need for a sustained focus to address the challenge. But, even with the fragmentary data that we do have, there can be little doubt that organised crime has emerged as a key feature of the African policy debate in recent years. Its impact is widespread and growing, yet it is little understood. The rising influence of criminal networks is part of a wider realignment of the international system, to which Africa belongs. An array of networks - commercial, social, political and criminal - now stand alongside traditional forms of statehood.1 Disentangling these interwoven networks and understanding how the criminal economy in particular, shapes governance and distorts development must now be key objectives for analysts of African affairs. References to criminal influence and 'shadow economies' are now pervasive in much of the recent writing on Africa, but there have been few attempts to consider these phenomena in their own right. Several analysts have observed that, far from isolating Africa from the global economy, illicit markets are integrating the continent in a significant way - even if only into the perverse underside of globalisation. Criminal markets, for example, have revitalised ancient African trade and pilgrimage routes that connect the continent to the Mediterranean and the Middle East. In patterns that are both old and new, Africa is becoming more enmeshed in a global web of illicit economic networks. Today, the continent is regularly featured in media reports on worldwide criminal markets and organised crime. Such coverage often focuses on what might be called organised corruption; the so-called 'migrant crisis' enabled by human smuggling from North Africa and the Sahel; or the poaching of animal species, such as rhinos and elephants in Southern Africa; the growth of different types of financial fraud; or the illegal trade in commodities or drugs across the continent. Indeed, one of the marked features of Africa's criminal economy is its diversity. How do we analyse the recent growth of these illicit markets and the organised-crime networks associated with them in Africa? And how do we understand and measure their impact on indicators such as governance, economic development, poverty reduction, human security and quality of life? What impact do they have on Africa's long-standing (and increasing) conflicts and on violence? And how can we do so in a way that is useful across the plethora of criminal challenges Africa now faces? These are the challenges that the ENACT project aims to address. The objective of ENACT is to enrich the foundation of the evidence basis on organised crime and its activities across the continent through research, qualitative and quantitative data gathering, multi-sectoral policy engagement, awareness raising and advocacy. But at the outset of this project, it is clear that the way in which organised crime in Africa has evolved cannot be understood without understanding wider trends in the global criminal economy. That is the focus of this report.

Details: Pretoria: ENACT, 2017. 44p.

Source: Internet Resource: Continental Report 01: Accessed September 27, 2017 at: https://enact-africa.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/2017-09-26-enact-continental-report1.pdf

Year: 2017

Country: Africa

URL: https://enact-africa.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/2017-09-26-enact-continental-report1.pdf

Shelf Number: 147471

Keywords:
Criminal Markets
Criminal Networks
Economics of Crime
Illegal trade
Illicit Markets
Organized Crime

Author: Vigne, Lucy

Title: The Ivory Trade of Laos: Now the Fastest Growing In the World

Summary: Executive summary - From 2013 to 2016, Laos's retail ivory market has expanded more rapidly than in any other country surveyed recently. - Laos has not been conforming with CITES regulations that prohibit the import and export of ivory. Since joining CITES in 2004, only one ivory seizure into Laos has been reported to the Elephant Trade Information System (ETIS). - Almost no arrests, let alone prosecutions and punishments, have been made of smugglers with ivory coming in or out of the country. - Most worked ivory for sale in Laos originates from elephants poached in Africa. - Ivory has also been entering Laos illegally from Thailand, as Thai traders have been offloading their ivory following the imposition of much stricter regulations there. - In late 2013 the average wholesale price of raw ivory sold by Lao traders peaked at about USD 2,000/kg. - By late 2016, the average wholesale price of raw ivory in Laos had declined to USD 714/kg, in line with prices elsewhere in the region. This price was much higher than in African countries, such as Sudan (Omdurman/Khartoum), where the average wholesale price of ivory was USD 279/kg in early 2017. This price differential is due to the extra expenses incurred in transport and bribes to government officials on the long journey to Asia. - In Laos, the decline in the wholesale price of raw ivory between 2013 and 2016, as elsewhere in the region, was mainly due to the slowdown in China's economy, that resulted in an oversupply of illegal ivory, relative to demand. - Ivory items seen for sale in Laos are carved or machine-processed in Vietnam by Vietnamese and smuggled into Laos for sale, or are processed by Chinese traders in Laos on new computerdriven machines. Ivory carving by Lao people is insignificant. - In Laos, the survey found 81 retail outlets with ivory on view for retail sale, 40 of which were in the capital, Vientiane, 21 in Luang Prabang, 8 in Kings Romans, 5 in Oudom Xay, 3 in Pakse, 2 in Dansavanh Nam Ngum Resort and 2 in Luang Nam Tha. - The survey counted 13,248 ivory items on display for sale, nearly all recently made to suit Chinese tastes. Vientiane had 7,014 items for sale, Luang Prabang 4,807, Kings Romans 1,014, Dansavanh Nam Ngum Resort 291, Oudom Xay 93, Luang Nam Tha 16, and Pakse 13. - Most outlets, displaying the majority of worked ivory, also sold souvenirs, Chinese herbal teas or jewellery, or were hotel gift shops. - Outlets were usually owned by traders from mainland China. The number of Chinese-owned shops had risen in Laos from none recorded in the early 2000s to several in 2013, including one main shop in Vientiane's Chinese market and two on the main tourist street of Luang Prabang. By 2016, there were 22 and 15 outlets, respectively, in these two areas, both of which are popular with Chinese visitors. By 2016, Chinese outlets with ivory had also sprung up in other locations, mainly those visited by the increasing number of Chinese. - In 2016, the most common ivory items for sale were pendants, followed by necklaces, bangles, beaded bracelets and other jewellery, similar to items for sale in 2013, but in far larger quantities. - The least expensive item was a thin ring for USD 3 and the most expensive was a pair of polished tusks for USD 25,000. - Retail prices for ivory items of similar type were higher than elsewhere in Kings Romans, which is visited primarily by wealthier Chinese visitors with money to spend. - Mainland Chinese buy over 80% of the ivory items in Laos today. There are sometimes buyers from South Korea and other Asian countries, according to vendors. - Laotians today generally buy amulets that are made of bone or synthetic material, rather than ivory items. - Virtually no mammoth ivory items were seen for sale. - Retail prices in Laos for worked ivory on display were considerably lower than in China, as most items in China at that time were in expensive licensed outlets incurring higher official paperwork costs. Lao prices for worked ivory were a little lower than in the cities of Vietnam as Lao shop owners have smaller overheads. - In the absence of effective law enforcement, vendors believe that sales of ivory items in their shops to Chinese consumers will continue to do well, in line with the anticipated increase in the number of Chinese in Laos and the projected expansion in Chinese investment. - Nearly all the items seen for sale today originate from illegally imported (post-1990) ivory. There is virtually no law enforcement so shops are able to display these items openly.

Details: Nairobi, Kenya: Save the Elephants, 2017. 92p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 29, 2017 at: http://www.savetheelephants.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/2017-Vigne-Lao-Ivory-Report-web.pdf

Year: 2017

Country: Laos

URL: http://www.savetheelephants.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/2017-Vigne-Lao-Ivory-Report-web.pdf

Shelf Number: 147501

Keywords:
Animal Poaching
Elephants
Illegal Trade
Ivory
Smuggling
Wildlife Crime

Author: Holtom, Paul

Title: Trade Update 2017: Out of the Shadows

Summary: The Small Arms Survey's Trade Update 2017: Out of the Shadows provides an overview of the international trade in small arms and light weapons in 2014, identifies the world's top and major exporters of small arms and light weapons, and assesses changes in trade patterns from 2013 to 2014. The Update also presents the 2017 edition of the Small Arms Trade Transparency Barometer, which scores key exporters from the most to the least transparent. The main findings include the following: In 2014, the top exporters of small arms (those with annual exports of at least USD 100 million), in descending order, were: the United States, Italy, Brazil, Germany, South Korea, Austria, Turkey, the Russian Federation, the Czech Republic, Belgium, Croatia, Israel, Spain, Switzerland, and Japan. Brazil exported more than USD 500 million worth of small arms for the first time during 2001-14. In 2014, the top importers of small arms (those with annual imports of at least USD 100 million), in descending order, were: the United States, Canada, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, Germany, Australia, Iraq, France, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom. The United States remains the world's largest importer, but the value of its imports declined for the first time since 2001, from USD 2.5 billion in 2013 to USD 2.2 billion in 2014. The international small arms trade was worth at least USD 6 billion in 2014. Ammunition accounted for 38 per cent of global transfers. The value of 'military firearm' shipments increased by 49 per cent between 2013 and 2014, from USD 475 million to USD 708 million. In contrast, the value of the trade in pistols and revolvers declined by 16 per cent, from USD 1 billion to USD 845 million. The 2017 edition of the Small Arms Trade Transparency Barometer identifies Germany, Switzerland, the Netherlands, and Serbia as the most transparent top and major small arms exporters. Iran, Israel, North Korea, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) are the least transparent major exporters. The average score in the 2017 Barometer is 11.33 out of 25 points. The areas that have seen the most improvement over the past year are: comprehensiveness (+17 per cent), access and consistency (+12 per cent), licences denied (+11 per cent), and clarity (+4 per cent). In their first ATT annual reports, Austria, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, and Liberia-none of which had reported small arms transfers to the UN Register-provided information on small arms transfers, thus increasing overall transparency on international small arms transfers. Although Iran, North Korea, and the UAE rarely, if ever, recorded small arms exports worth USD 10 million or more in Comtrade, Survey research indicates that they are major small arms exporters. It is more difficult to determine the status of Saudi Arabia, which appears to be a significant re-exporter of small arms.

Details: Geneva, SWIT: Small Arms Survey, 2017. 90p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed December 7, 2017 at: http://www.smallarmssurvey.org/fileadmin/docs/S-Trade-Update/SAS-Trade-Update-2017.pdf

Year: 2017

Country: International

URL: http://www.smallarmssurvey.org/fileadmin/docs/S-Trade-Update/SAS-Trade-Update-2017.pdf

Shelf Number: 148762

Keywords:
Illegal Trade
Illicit Trade
Trade in Arms

Author: Stiles, Daniel

Title: An Assessment of the Illegal Ivory Trade in Viet Nam

Summary: Viet Nam acceded to CITES on 20 April 1994. A series of government laws and decrees prohibit the hunting of elephants and other listed wild species (Prime Minister's directive 134/TTg, 1960; Council of Minister's decree 39/CP, 1963) and the use, trade and transport of products derived from them (Ministry of Forestry decision number 276/QD, 1989; Council of Minister's decree 18/ HDBT, 1992; Prime Minister's directive 359/TTg, 1996; Government Decree No. 48/2002/ND-CP, 2002; Government Decree 82/2006/ND-CP, 2006). The elephant is classed in category IB, patterned after CITES Appendix I, which means there is a complete ban on all trade of the species' products. In July 2000 the Revised Criminal Code set out regulations for the prosecution of cases of illegal exploitation of rare and precious wild species, including elephants. Since 1999, TRAFFIC has been carrying out country surveys of trade in ivory, along with trade in live elephants in some cases. TRAFFIC carried out an investigation of Viet Nam's role in elephant and elephant product trade in 2000 (Anon., 2002). In 2008, TRAFFIC set out to compile existing and new information on the trade specifically in elephant ivory in Viet Nam in consultation with relevant experts and stakeholders. The following locations were surveyed between 4 April and 4 May, 2008: Ho Chi Minh City Vung Tau Phu Quoc island Ha Tien Nha Trang Hue Ha Noi Ha Long City The main findings of this survey were: - A total of 669 retail outlets were surveyed in the eight localities. Of these, 73 (11%) were selling ivory, totalling 2 444 items. - Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) had the most outlets (49) and ivory items (1 776) with Ha Noi second with 10 outlets and 407 pieces. Hue was a distant third with eight outlets selling a total of 141 items. - At least 17 craftsmen work ivory in Viet Nam in the places surveyed, with the highest number in and around Ha Noi, followed by HCMC and Hue. - Most of the raw ivory used in 2008 was said to originate in Laos, with small amounts coming from Viet Nam and Cambodia. Mammoth ivory from Russia is also used in small quantities. No African raw ivory was found. - Raw ivory prices were extremely high, possibly the highest in the world in 2008. Tusks weighing 1-3 kg sold for USD500-1 242/kg, with verbal reports of up to USD1 500/kg. Small, solid cut pieces and tusk tips weighing less than 1 kg were even more expensive, ranging from USD769/kg to USD1 863/kg. - The cause of the great ivory price rise seen in 2008 is continued demand for ivory from local and foreign consumers coupled with a restriction of supply. Seizures made in Viet Nam and elsewhere in recent years of African and Asian ivory suggest that most raw ivory supply is directed towards China. - Worked ivory prices were commensurately high. - The main buyers of ivory were visiting Chinese (including Hong Kong and Taiwan) and Thais, local Vietnamese, American-Vietnamese and Europeans, in that order. - The scale of the ivory market is smaller than in 1990, based on the number of craftsmen working ivory and the number of outlets selling ivory, but there are signs that demand is increasing. - African ivory was being illegally imported and used from the late 1990s to at least 2004. No evidence of African ivory being smuggled into Viet Nam was identified during the 2008 survey. The absence of African ivory imports is placing increased pressure on Asian elephants in Viet Nam and neighbouring countries to satisfy demand. - Fewer ivory items were seen in HCMC and Ha Noi shops in 2008 than in 2001, 2 182 compared to 3 039, but worked ivory is increasingly being sold directly to buyers through middlemen or on the Internet, bypassing retail outlets. - The average size and weight of worked ivory items is decreasing over time, with a higher proportion of <5 cm pieces seen in 2008 than in 2001. - Viet Nam has complied with recommendations in CITES Resolution Conf. 10.10 (Rev. CoP14) to control the ivory industry by enacting legislation that prohibits all possession and dealing in raw and worked ivory. A major loophole in enforcing this legislation is that retail outlets are allowed to sell ivory in stock at the time of the prohibition (1992). This allows some shopowners to restock illegally with recently made worked ivory. - Viet Nam has also fulfilled its obligations to the CITES Monitoring the Illegal Killing of Elephants (MIKE) programme by setting up a monitoring site (Cat Tien National Park) and establishing the baseline data. - Viet Nam has unfortunately not implemented certain of the recommendations contained in CITES Resolution Conf. 10.10 (Rev. CoP14). Its reporting record to ETIS has been extremely erratic and incomplete and it has not established a nationwide procedure, particularly in retail outlets, informing tourists and other non-nationals that ivory is illegal to purchase and it is illegal for them to export ivory and import it into their home countries. - Overall assessment - The scale of the Viet Nam ivory market remains modest on a global scale. Although there were 28% fewer worked pieces seen for sale in HCMC and Ha Noi in 2008 than in 2001, the great increase in prices of raw and worked ivory, the larger number of outlets selling ivory, and the observed upsurge in activity of craftsmen working ivory between 2001 and 2008 all strongly suggest that demand for ivory is rising, though a restriction of supply between 2001 and 2008 also contributed to the price rise. Less ivory on the shelves of outlets may in fact be the result of increased sales coupled with decreased availability of raw material to enable replacement. A contributing factor to fewer pieces seen in shops could be the fact that more buyers order items directly from craftsmen through middlemen, or commission items on the Internet, so the ivory never enters a retail outlet. Viet Nam has not complied with some important recommendations of CITES Resolution Conf. 10.10 (Rev. CoP14) and there are weaknesses in national legislation that allow the continued trading in illegal ivory.

Details: Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia: TRAFFIC Southeast Asia, 2008. 37p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed January 20, 2018 at: http://www.trafficj.org/publication/08_Assessment_illegal_ivory_trade_VietNam.pdf

Year: 2008

Country: Vietnam

URL: http://www.trafficj.org/publication/08_Assessment_illegal_ivory_trade_VietNam.pdf

Shelf Number: 114838

Keywords:
Elephants
Illegal Trade
Ivory
Trafficking in Wildlife
Wildlife Crime
Wildlife Trafficking

Author: Heinrich, Sarah

Title: The Global Trafficking of Pangolins: A comprehensive summary of seizures and trafficking routes from 2010-2015

Summary: Pangolins are currently the most heavily trafficked wild mammals in the world. Their meat is considered a delicacy, and has been attributed to have a medicinal/tonic value, their scales are used in traditional medicines, and pangolin skins are processed into leather products. All eight species are listed as threatened on The IUCN Red List of Threatened SpeciesTM. An estimated one million pangolins have been trafficked in the period 2000-2013, however, there is little understanding of the trafficking routes used to transport pangolins globally. In this report, the illegal pangolin trade from 2010-2015 was investigated, focusing on the global trade routes used to traffic pangolins and their derivatives. A total of 1270 seizure incidents were collated, which included at least 20 749 kg and an additional 7154 individual pangolin body parts, 55 251 kg and an additional 5613 individual pangolin scales, and 44 475 kg and an additional 46 760 individual whole pangolins. This excluded a total of 7.6% of all incidents where no quantitative information was available. A subset of these data (excluding domestic trade) was used to study international trafficking routes. An average of 33 countries and territories were involved in international pangolin trafficking per year. Notably, an average of 27 new trade routes were identified each year, highlighting that wildlife trafficking occurs through a highly mobile trade network with constantly shifting trade routes. The seizure incidents involved 67 countries and territories across six continents; demonstrating the global nature of pangolin trafficking, which is not limited to Asian and African range countries. China and the United States of America (US) were identified as the most common destinations for international pangolin trafficking during the six-year period. China was the main destination for large-quantity shipments of scales (here defined as shipments involving ≥1000 kg of scales) and whole animals (here defined as shipments involving ≥500 pangolins), while the US was the main destination for large-quantity shipments of body parts (here defined as shipments involving ≥100 body parts). Europe was identified as an important transit hub, mostly for African pangolins (and their parts and derivatives) being transported to Asia. Germany, France and Belgium were particularly prominent. An exception was the Netherlands, which was reported as a destination for large-quantity shipments of body parts and scales from China and Uganda respectively, as well as a common destination for shipments from China. However, most international trafficking of pangolins (and their parts and derivatives) occurred within Asia, both in terms of number of incidents and quantity. Of the top ten countries and territories involved in the most trafficking incidents, seven were in Asia, namely China, Viet Nam, Malaysia, Hong Kong SAR, Thailand, Lao PDR, and Indonesia. The remaining three were the US, Nigeria, and Germany. Body parts (including a variety of raw derivatives or processed commodities, such as skins, trophies, leather products, and medicinals) were significantly more likely to be from an Asian pangolin species relative to other commodities in trade and species origins, but the transport mode for body part shipments was largely unreported. The analysis of large-quantity shipments indicated that 80% of the trade in body parts was from China and Viet Nam and destined almost exclusively for the US, with the exception of one case, where the Netherlands was the reported destination. Trafficking of scales was significantly more likely to be of African origin and to be transported by air, relative to other transport modes and origins. Analysis of large-quantity shipments involving scales indicated that 55% of these shipments were of African origin, namely from Cameroon, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, and Uganda. The number of large-quantity shipments of scales, as well as the weight of such shipments, increased significantly through time, as did the number of incidents involving African pangolin species. China was the main destination for the large-quantity shipments of scales, but other destinations for these shipments were Hong Kong SAR, the Netherlands, and Viet Nam. Whole animals were significantly more likely to be transported by land, relative to the other transport modes and commodities, and large-quantity shipments involving whole animals were exclusively traded within Asia. Of these large-quantity shipments, Indonesia and Malaysia were the most common origin countries, although Malaysia was also identified as an important destination and transit country. Other destinations for large-quantity shipments of whole pangolins included China, Singapore, Thailand, and Viet Nam.

Details: Selangor, Malaysia: TRAFFIC. Southeast Asia Regional Office, 2017. 49p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed January 25, 2018 at: http://static1.1.sqspcdn.com/static/f/157301/27779360/1513337200303/global-pangolin-assessment.pdf?token=QYTxsEfmbE42wuwYhxwmnr53YkY%3D

Year: 2017

Country: International

URL: http://static1.1.sqspcdn.com/static/f/157301/27779360/1513337200303/global-pangolin-assessment.pdf?token=QYTxsEfmbE42wuwYhxwmnr53YkY%3D

Shelf Number: 148924

Keywords:
Illegal Trade
Pangolins
Trafficking in Wildlife
Wildlife Crime
Wildlife Trafficking

Author: Sy, Emerson Y.

Title: Trading Faces: Utilisation of Facebook to Trade Live Reptiles in the Philippines

Summary: The trade in live reptiles as pets has increased significantly in the last three decades with Asian countries playing an increasing role as important trade hubs and consumers. In the Philippines, all non-native and native reptile species are protected under the Wildlife Act of 2001 and enthusiasts are required to obtain permits to keep reptiles legally. Physical markets were traditionally the main source of live reptiles, but some illegal wildlife traders suspected to have been displaced by successful enforcement actions have increasingly turned to online platforms to continue their illicit trading activities. Facebook is an immensely popular social networking website with more than 47 million active monthly users in the Philippines. Recognising the increasing importance of Facebook in live reptile trade, TRAFFIC researchers conducted a three-month survey from June-August 2016 to elucidate current trade dynamics, analyse trends, and identify areas for future work. CITES trade data for non-native reptiles imported to the Philippines from 2005-2016 were also analysed to determine species and quantities imported into the country over the 12-year period. A total of 2245 unique live reptile advertisements representing 115 taxa and a minimum of 5082 individuals were posted by 1046 traders in 90 pre-selected Facebook groups. The cumulative membership (i.e. summed membership without removing people who were members of multiple groups) in the 90 Facebook groups at the beginning of the survey was 359 328, but quickly increased by 11% within three months. The estimated potential value of all advertised reptiles recorded during this study was PHP26 451 345 (USD570 148). The results of this study were shared by TRAFFIC with the Biodiversity Management Bureau (BMB) and Facebook to augment their trade data and for follow-up action. The top 10 most commonly-traded species alone accounted for 82% of all animals recorded to be offered for sale on Facebook. Thirty four percent of traded taxa are native and legally protected in the Philippines, including the two Critically Endangered Philippine Forest Turtles Siebenrockiella leytensis offered. Practically all available native specimens found for sale were likely collected illegally from the wild since there are no credible commercial captive breeding programmes in the country. Based on current Philippine wildlife law and regulations, at least 80% of documented online traders in this study were deemed involved, knowingly or otherwise, in illegal trading activities. Research also showed that within Metro Manila, the preferred method of parties to finalise a transaction is to meet at a pre-arranged place such as at the trader's residence, pet center or train station. Philippines also reported the import of 6078 live non-native reptiles representing 72 taxa, from 25 countries between 2005-2016. Fifty two percent of taxa (n = 60) available in trade were internationally regulated by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). Five non-native CITES Appendix I-listed reptiles, representing 36 animals were also recorded for trade in the 90 Facebook groups. None of them had importation records, according to the BMB, and were therefore traded illegally. This includes the 20 Critically Endangered Radiated Tortoises Astrochelys radiata endemic to Madagascar and the seven Endangered Big-headed Turtles Platysternon megacephalum. Further, 33 non-native CITES Appendix II-listed species were also offered for sale on Facebook. Of these, 28 individuals from eight species had no importation records since 1981, meaning they were very likely acquired and being traded illegally. The availability of non-native species, including CITES Appendix I-listed taxa, without legal importation records suggests smugglers exploited loopholes in the implementation of Philippine wildlife and Customs rules and regulations. The weak implementation of wildlife law and corruption, where there have been recent reported cases with airport personnel facilitating trade, are factors affecting wildlife trade governance at seaports and airports. The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) anti-illegal wildlife trade efforts will continue to be undermined unless import/export loopholes are addressed and those individuals involved are held accountable to the full extent of the law. The trade also directly threatens native and endemic reptiles due to unabated wildlife poaching throughout the country.

Details: Selangor, Malaysia: TRAFFIC, Southeast Asia Regional Office, 2018. 44p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 1, 2018 at: http://static1.1.sqspcdn.com/static/f/157301/27803939/1516283835030/Facebook-Reptile-Trade-Philippines.pdf?token=CejcV%2BesSUguyxJBC0RKP5hWCVc%3D

Year: 2018

Country: Philippines

URL: http://static1.1.sqspcdn.com/static/f/157301/27803939/1516283835030/Facebook-Reptile-Trade-Philippines.pdf?token=CejcV%2BesSUguyxJBC0RKP5hWCVc%3D

Shelf Number: 148958

Keywords:
Animal Poaching
Illegal Trade
Illegal Wildlife Trade
Reptiles
Social Media
Wildlife Crime
Wildlife Trade

Author: Alusala, Nelson

Title: Africa in Arms: Taking stock of efforts for improved arms control

Summary: The future of Africa's development is intrinsically linked to the continent's ability to take charge of its peace and security. The African Union (AU) Commission is best placed to lead this process. However, the organisation and its member states have continuously been challenged by the widespread and uncontrolled flow of arms and ammunition. The AU Commission and its affiliated sub-regional organisations have put into place a number of initiatives and mechanisms that align their efforts with global processes, but Africa is yet to fully enjoy the dividends of these measures. This paper reviews the achievements attained so far, explores some of the drivers of the demand for arms and identifies recommendations for bolstering existing efforts. Recommendations - To strengthen current efforts, the AU, regional economic communities (RECs) and regional mechanisms (RMs) should consider the following: - Strengthening stockpile management systems within member states. This should include the construction of modern armouries and capacity building for relevant personnel. - Enforcing the implementation of arms embargoes, in collaboration with the UN sanctions committees and embargo monitoring groups. - Addressing terrorism comprehensively. Terrorism is increasingly becoming a major driver for illicit arms flows. There is an urgent need for the AU and its sub-regional organisations to coordinate efforts to eliminate this growing menace. - Regulating artisanal arms manufacturers. These manufacturers should be supported in a framework that allows them to operate in a more formalised way. Failure to do this would exacerbate illicit arms proliferation and manufacturing.

Details: s.l.: ENACT, 2017. 24p.

Source: Internet Resource: Research Paper Issue 3: Accessed February 6, 2018 at: https://enact-africa.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/2017-12-13-ResearchPaper-AfricainArms-Research.pdf

Year: 2018

Country: Africa

URL: https://enact-africa.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/2017-12-13-ResearchPaper-AfricainArms-Research.pdf

Shelf Number: 148998

Keywords:
Arms Control
Illegal Trade
Illicit Weapons
Terrorism
Trafficking in Weapons
Weapons

Author: Lau, Wilson

Title: An assessment of South African dried abalone Haliotis midae consumption and trade in Hong Kong

Summary: The report, "An assessment of South African dried abalone Haliotis midae consumption and trade in Hong Kong," produced by TRAFFIC as part of the USAID-funded Wildlife TRAPS Project, shows that South African abalone imports to Hong Kong have increased in recent years, despite severe restrictions on wild harvest. It estimates that of South African abalone imports to Hong Kong in 2015, 65% was illegally sourced and trafficked compared to the 35% that was legally wild-caught or produced through aquaculture operations. In the past decade, efforts to protect the legal abalone fishery have been undermined by international underground criminal networks. After South Africa took a number of regulatory measures in 2007 and 2008 to protect crashing abalone populations, the new report reveals that illicit trade routes shifted. Instead of mainly exporting poached abalone directly to Hong Kong, traffickers increasingly smuggled abalone to nearby African countries, such as Mozambique and Zimbabwe, before re-exporting the product. Between 2008-2015, 61% of South African abalone exports to Hong Kong came from African countries outside South Africa, a significant increase from the 36% that was exported from outside South Africa between 2000-2007. Aside from one small farm in Namibia, no other African country legally exports the marine mollusk. This highly profitable trade is managed by organised criminal syndicates that reach sellers and buyers in Hong Kong who may or may not realise their involvement is bankrolling illegal activities. Once poached abalone arrives in Hong Kong, under the current legislation, it can be openly traded and sold in markets alongside legally sourced abalone. The report shows that the majority of abalone traders, about 80%, are aware of some form of illegal activity surrounding South African abalone, but less than half of consumers had any knowledge of abalone poaching in South Africa. Current levels of abalone poaching have serious implications for the sustainability of the South African fishery, which in turn, could have rippling impacts on the market. One-third of all abalone imported by Hong Kong is of South African origin, and the report's findings indicate that the availability of this abalone, along with its quality and reasonable price (compared to other more expensive abalone varieties), helps boost South African abalone's popularity among consumers. Any reduction in South African abalone's availability could affect Hong Kong buyers' strong preference for the product-creating a strong incentive for legal producers to support measures that ensure the sustainability of supplies. To reduce the threat of poaching and trafficking, the report offers nine recommendations for governments, legal producers, conservation groups and the donor community to take action. They include listing and enforcing regulations for dried Haliotis midae trade under CITES, working with industry to support the trade in legally sourced South African abalone, and implementing methods for strengthening law enforcement, improving traceability, and raising public awareness about the species and illegal trade.

Details: Cambridge, UK: TRAFFIC International, 2018. 114p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 13, 2018 at: http://www.traffic.org/home/2018/2/8/poached-abalone-from-south-africa-is-flowing-into-hong-kong.html

Year: 2018

Country: Hong Kong

URL: http://www.traffic.org/home/2018/2/8/poached-abalone-from-south-africa-is-flowing-into-hong-kong.html

Shelf Number: 149119

Keywords:
Abalone
Animal Poaching
Environmental Crime
Fishing Industry
Illegal Fishing
Illegal Trade
Organized Crime
Trafficking in Wildlife
Wildlife Crime
Wildlife Trafficking

Author: Stoner, Sarah

Title: Black Business:Illegal Rhino Horn Trade Dynamics in NHI Khe, Viet Nam From a Criminal Perspective: A Case Study

Summary: It is not looking good for Rhinoceros. It is calculated that over 500,000 of these gentle giants roamed in the wild across Africa and Asia at the beginning of the 20th century; estimates done at the end of 2015 brought the figure down to only 30,000 individuals left. There are five species of rhinoceros (two African and three Asian): white rhino, greater one-horned rhino, black rhino, Javan rhino and Sumatran rhino. The latest three are critically endangered. Rhinos are poached for their horns. The demand for rhino horn products in Asia has increased over the past few years, resulting in a staggering and unsustainable impact upon poaching of the species, despite the ban imposed by CITES in 1977 on the international commercial trade of rhino horn. It is estimated that a rhino is killed for its horn every 8 hours. Investigators from the Wildlife Justice Commission (WJC) witness the illegal trade of 'raw' rhino horn and 'worked' products every day. During our undercover investigation in Nhi Khe (Vietnam) over a period of 12 months, our teams directly observed rhino horns and products estimated to equate to 579 rhinos, with an estimated street value of USD 42 million.

Details: s.l.: Wildlife Justice Commission, 2017. 23p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 14, 2018 at: https://wildlifejustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Black-Business-FINALpdf.pdf

Year: 2017

Country: Vietnam

URL: https://wildlifejustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Black-Business-FINALpdf.pdf

Shelf Number: 149130

Keywords:
Environmental crime
Illegal Trade
Illegal Wildlife Trade
Ivory
Rhino
Wildlife Crime

Author: Urrunaga, Julia

Title: Moment of Truth: Promise or Peril for the Amazon as Peru Confronts its Illegal Timber Trade

Summary: EIA's new report describes important advances since 2012 in Peru's fight against illegal logging, timber laundering, and its associated international trade - as well as the backlash against these new approaches. The evidence of persistent illegal logging, systemic corruption, laundering, and illegal timber in Peru's exports remains overwhelming. While the U.S. has begun to crack down on illegal Peruvian timber, major importing countries like China and Mexico are turning a blind eye. Human rights violations, long-term economic impacts, and damage to biodiversity and the global climate are all embedded in the Peruvian forest sector's current operating model. At the same time, Peru's institutions have shown that they have the tools to conduct effective enforcement and create more transparent procedures and systems. This is a Moment of Truth. Can Peru accept and act on the truths revealed by its own enforcement actions? Or will it now eliminate the rules and inspections that are necessary for tracing timber back to verified, legal origins? The report focuses on three pieces: A multi-year enforcement effort called Operation Amazonas that in 2015 focused on the shipping vessel Yacu Kallpa, the largest export trade stream of timber from the northern Peruvian Amazon. Upon investigation, enforcement agencies discovered that an average of 91.3% -- and as high as 96% -- of the timber this ship carried was from illegal sources, leading to detentions and seizures in Peru, the Dominican Republic, Mexico, and the U.S. Protests, backlash and high-level pushback in response to these efforts to enforce the law and introduce greater transparency to the system. The timber industry, its primary regulatory authority (the National Forest and Wildlife Service, Serfor), and other government entities in Peru have denied or minimized the problem and attempted to weaken enforcement institutions. They have also reduced data collection and changed official requirements to make it almost impossible to trace timber and verify legal origin, in contravention of Peru's own laws and commitments. A new analysis of hundreds of pages of official documents that reveal systematic exports of illegal and high-risk timber from Peru's main port of Callao during 2015, by dozens of companies and to 18 countries. It is impossible to replicate this analysis for 2016 or 2017, since the Peruvian forest authority has decided to stop compiling the necessary data.

Details: Washington, DC: Environmental Investigation Agency, 2018. 80p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 28, 2018 at: https://content.eia-global.org/posts/documents/000/000/694/original/MomentofTruth.pdf?1518546054

Year: 2018

Country: Peru

URL: https://content.eia-global.org/posts/documents/000/000/694/original/MomentofTruth.pdf?1518546054

Shelf Number: 149277

Keywords:
Environmental Crimes
Forests
Illegal Logging
Illegal Trade
Offenses Against the Environment

Author: Foley, Sean

Title: Sex, Drugs, and Bitcoin: How Much Illegal Activity Is Financed Through Cryptocurrencies?

Summary: Cryptocurrencies are among the largest unregulated markets in the world. We find that approximately one-quarter of bitcoin users and one-half of bitcoin transactions are associated with illegal activity. Around $72 billion of illegal activity per year involves bitcoin, which is close to the scale of the US and European markets for illegal drugs. The illegal share of bitcoin activity declines with mainstream interest in bitcoin and with the emergence of more opaque cryptocurrencies. The techniques developed in this paper have applications in cryptocurrency surveillance. Our findings suggest that cryptocurrencies are transforming the way black markets operate by enabling "black e-commerce."

Details: Unpublished paper, 2018. 58p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 28, 2018 at: https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3102645

Year: 2018

Country: International

URL: https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3102645

Shelf Number: 149283

Keywords:
Bitcoin
Dark Web
Financial Crimes
Illegal Trade

Author: Chng, Serene C.L.

Title: Escalating Black Spotted Turtle Geoclemys Hamiltonii Trade in Asia: A Study of Seizures

Summary: Illegal international trade of the Black Spotted Turtle in Asia has escalated over recent years and immediate action is required to stem the flow, a new TRAFFIC report has found. The attractive spotted visage of the Black Spotted Turtle Geoclemys hamiltonii may well be its downfall. The species is known to be traded for meat, medicine and pets, although TRAFFIC's research attributes the sudden rise in demand to the exotic pet trade. Over 1,960 animals were seized between January 2008 and March 2014. Of these, 95 per cent were confiscated in the final 15 months of that period. A seizure of another 230 turtles on May 14th underscored the seriousness of the threat. Royal Thai Customs officers in Suvarnabhumi International Airport found the turtles packed in unclaimed bags which had come in on a flight from Kolkata, India. Seizure information indicates that shipments of the turtles from Bangladesh, India and Pakistan transit through South-east Asian hubs such as Bangkok and are destined for East Asia, in particular Hong Kong. Most of the seizures are from passengers using commercial airlines concealing animals in their baggage. The majority of couriers caught were arrested but only two of the 22 cases recorded resulted in successful prosecutions. "Enforcement authorities' efforts to detect and apprehend smugglers are commendable, but a lack of follow-on investigations and prosecution is undoing their good work," said Dr Chris R Shepherd, Regional Director for TRAFFIC in Southeast Asia. The Black Spotted Turtle is protected under national laws in its range countries and is listed in Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna (CITES). All commercial international trade in this species is illegal. The report (PDF, 1.1 MB) recommends improving enforcement and prosecution through multilateral and multi-agency coordination. Timely and detailed reporting of seizures to the CITES Secretariat and in the media, together with the outcomes of successful prosecutions, are also urged. "Wildlife enforcement networks already exist in South and South-east Asia, but given the transnational operations of the criminal networks they are up against, the challenge is to ensure a fully co-ordinated global enforcement response to their activities is delivered," said Dr Yannick Kuehl, Regional Director for TRAFFIC in East and South Asia Next week, Viet Nam hosts the 9th Meeting of the ASEAN Wildlife Enforcement Network in Hanoi, at which Strategic Action Plan Development will be discussed, alongside the Special Investigations Group approach on key wildlife trafficking issues linking South-east Asia and other trading partners. "TRAFFIC hopes our targeted analysis of trafficking routes will assist the region's Wildlife Enforcement Networks in planning enforcement actions aimed at breaking the lines of supply and demand," said Shepherd. TRAFFIC's findings were released today, World Turtle Day, to highlight the plight of the Black Spotted Turtle and many other species of turtles worldwide, particularly those in Asia which are under threat mainly from habitat loss and over-exploitation for food, medicine and the exotic pet trade. "Turtle species are seriously threatened - nowhere more so than in Asia with 17 of the 25 most critically endangered tortoises and freshwater turtles on the IUCN Red List found in the region," said James Tallant, Senior Programme Officer - Species, IUCN Natural Resources Group, Asia.

Details: Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia: TRAFFIC, 2014. 24p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed march 20, 2018 at: http://www.traffic.org/home/2014/5/23/alarming-rise-in-black-spotted-turtle-trade-across-asia.html

Year: 2014

Country: Asia

URL: http://www.traffic.org/home/2014/5/23/alarming-rise-in-black-spotted-turtle-trade-across-asia.html

Shelf Number: 149537

Keywords:
Endangered Species
Illegal Trade
Smuggling
Turtles
Wildlife Crime
Wildlife Enforcement

Author: Lau, W.

Title: Closing Strategy: Ending Ivory Trade in Hong Kong

Summary: Elephant poaching and illegal ivory trade have increased considerably in the past decade. This has occurred despite international control measures through the listing of the Asian Elephant Elephas maximus and African Elephant Loxodonta africana in the appendices of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), which restricted the international commercial trade of ivory from 1990. It has resulted in calls for urgent deterrent actions that go beyond CITES requirements, including domestic measures to address the illegal trade. CITES is given effect in Hong Kong through the Protection of Endangered Species of Animals and Plants Ordinance (Cap. 586) which controls the import, (re-)export and local trade of ivory. Hong Kong was once a prominent trading centre for ivory in the 1970s and 1980s, but the industry contracted considerably following the implementation of CITES trade restrictions in 1990, and waning demand from traditional overseas consumers. However, resurgence in international ivory trade activity in the past decade, both legal and illegal, have also reinvigorated Hong Kong's local ivory market. This has led many conservation advocates to campaign for a ban on ivory trade in Hong Kong. The Hong Kong Government's proposal to phase out local ivory trade, which was first announced in January 2016 and developed in June 2016, as well as additional enforcement and licensing measures, would be a significant commitment if passed through Hong Kong's Legislative Council, in line with ambitions in China, the USA and elsewhere to take drastic actions against illegal ivory. This report presents an assessment of commercial ivory trade in Hong Kong. Market surveys of ivory outlets were conducted during two periods-August and December 2015-with a rapid survey in November 2016 revisiting most of the same shops. These surveys occurred during a period when denouncements of the local ivory trade were at their most vocal, with new government measures and the possible cessation of local ivory trade bringing about significant uncertainties for local ivory traders. In this respect, this report captures the market conditions and sentiments at a critical moment in Hong Kong's ivory trading history. In addition, CITES trade data on import and re-export of preConvention ivory from Hong Kong between 2000 and 2015, as well as government seizure reports, were analysed to examine the extent to which Hong Kong plays the role of a trading hub for the international ivory trade, and discrepancies with local sentiments about the state of Hong Kong's ivory industry. Physical market surveys in the two main survey periods in 2015 found that while ivory is still readily available in Hong Kong, the vast majority of ivory retail outlets have to supplement their operations by selling a range of other goods, whether it is mammoth ivory, stone and timber carvings, other precious jewellery or antiques. Dealers generally spoke of a sluggish ivory market at the time of the surveys. When these ivory outlets were revisited in 2016, seven outlets appeared to have closed down for business, and two dealers spoke of plans to downsize by closing branch stores and to focus on the wholesale side of their ivory business. Overall, a consolidation of the market appears to be occurring. Larger specialist outlets were still making sales, but smaller outlets with a few ivory items displayed had fewer active transactions. Local ivory trade is controlled through a licensing system whereby premises have to be licensed before they can commercially trade in pre-ban ivory (pre-1990), and the licence must be displayed on their premises. Market surveys found that only 38% of outlets had licences displayed or had claimed to possess one. When questioned about whether ivory items can be taken out of Hong Kong, 36% of local ivory dealers were willing to sell ivory to buyers intending to depart from Hong Kong, encouraging the smuggling of small ivory items as personal effects without going through the due process of acquiring a CITES permit. 42% of traders accurately mentioned the need to have adequate CITES documentation with their purchase. Outlets that had licences displayed were only slightly less likely to suggest that smaller pieces of ivory might go unnoticed by enforcement authorities if taken across Hong Kong's borders. These findings present the shortcomings in the existing regulatory system, both in terms of compliance with existing regulations, as well as current perceptions of any law enforcement deterrent. According to CITES trade data, a considerable quantity of pre-Convention ivory has been imported into Hong Kong between 2010 and 2014, totalling 6,056 ivory pieces plus 4,554 kg. The majority of these imports were sourced from European countries. More than half of the ivory imported was raw ivory. Meanwhile, declared re-exports of pre-Convention ivory amounted to 323 ivory pieces plus 3,264 kg during the same period. Data from the CITES trade database show that raw ivory re-exports during this time were all destined for mainland China, indicating that the market in China is probably a driver for Hong Kong's raw ivory imports. It is puzzling, however, that part of the inflows of raw ivory into Hong Kong remained in the city, according to CITES data, even though there are no more ivory carving factories in Hong Kong and most carvers only operate on a part-time basis undertaking repair and bespoke work. The current proposal to phase out the local ivory trade, which as of the report's publication has still to be passed by the Hong Kong Legislative Council, will be a monumental step towards ending Hong Kong's once prominent role in the global ivory trade. However, a potential scenario that may develop even before a local trade ban is in place is that it could cause a surge in ivory trade out of Hong Kong. It is pertinent that law enforcement agencies remain vigilant that it does not lead to an increase of illegal trade activities. Several major ivory markets around the world have already imposed restrictions on the import of pre-Convention ivory, which would make Hong Kong's re-exports of ivory to those countries illegal, especially that of mainland China, which has had a blanket import ivory ban in place since 2016. Online ivory trade could be one method by which ivory dealers attempt to liquidate their stock, and much greater effort is required of Hong Kong's enforcement agencies to work with social media and e-commerce platforms to prevent illegal ivory transactions from taking place. Current plans to maintain an antique ivory trade, which would restrict trade to only a small pool of ivory items in Hong Kong, should also be monitored closely in future to prevent the laundering of non-antique ivory, or inadvertently encourage consumer demand for that ivory. The report recommends that the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) take the following actions immediately to improve management of local ivory trade in Hong Kong while the trade is being phased out: - Assess the status, use and possible re-export of pre-Convention raw ivory that has been legally imported into Hong Kong in recent years, through follow up with licensed traders that had imported the items; - Ensure that aggregate figures and trends in Hong Kong's ivory stockpiles are published in the public domain not more than two months after year end, with a high degree of data resolution that includes quantities of raw/worked ivory, quantities by weight class, and types of ivory products; - Develop information circulars on recent legislative changes and domestic measures in key trading markets such as China, Europe and the USA, to make certain that licensed ivory dealers in Hong Kong are aware of the rapidly evolving changes to international and domestic trade measures, particularly new restrictions that are either now in place or being planned; - Require ivory traders to display an AFCD notice and poster in all licensed premises, and increase enforcement of this requirement so that potential customers have the means to identify lawful practices prior to the implementation of the proposed phase out plan; - Clarify with licensed ivory dealers the conditions for selling through online platforms. In addition, the Hong Kong SAR Government is encouraged to implement the following measures to tackle illegal ivory trade: - Following the example of China's implementation of its ivory ban, Hong Kong should hasten the local ivory trade phase out process, starting with the cessation of ivory possession licences being issued or renewed, in order to lessen the opportunity for laundering of illegal ivory from other markets into Hong Kong if a long grace period was provided; - Require regular monthly reporting of transactions by licensed ivory dealers to AFCD, which would enable ivory stock movements to be closely tracked; - Expand the current hologram system forlabelling registered ivory to allregistered stockpiles, for all commercial pre-ban ivory over 100 g, to minimise confusion about product legality for consumers; - Regulate the trade in antique ivory with a product marking and record keeping system so that future antique ivory trade can be managed and overseen by government authorities; - Review Hong Kong's stockpile management system for confiscated ivory, ensuring that there is a system in place for electronic record-keeping, safe storage and periodic audit of stockpiles. - Enhance co-operation of law enforcement agencies on wildlife crimes, including working with overseas counterparts and taking advantage of innovative communication and information sharing models that exist in other regions of the world, as well as local co-operation between AFCD, the Hong Kong Police Force and the Customs and Excise Department through joint operations and skills training; - Review maximum penalties for wildlife crimes to levels that reflect the seriousness of organized criminal involvement; - In line with the CITES Resolution on Demand Reduction (Resolution Conf. 17.4), develop supportive policies to encourage evidence-based strategies and campaigns targeting specific consumer groups to change behaviours about the consumption of ivory.

Details: Hong Kong: Traffic, 2017. 48p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed march 20, 2018 at: http://www.trafficj.org/publication/17_Closing_Strategy_HK.pdf

Year: 2017

Country: Hong Kong

URL: http://www.trafficj.org/publication/17_Closing_Strategy_HK.pdf

Shelf Number: 149541

Keywords:
Animal Poaching
Elephants
Illegal Trade
Ivory
Ivory Trade
Wildlife Conservation
Wildlife Crime

Author: U.S. Government Accountability Office

Title: Combating Wildlife Trafficking: Opportunities Exist to Improve the Use of Financial Rewards

Summary: Why GAO Did This Study Wildlife trafficking-the poaching and illegal trade of plants, fish, and wildlife-is a multibillion-dollar, global criminal activity that imperils thousands of species. FWS and NOAA enforce laws prohibiting wildlife trafficking that authorize the agencies to pay financial rewards for information about such illegal activities. GAO was asked to review FWS's and NOAA's use of financial rewards to combat wildlife trafficking. This report examines (1) laws that authorize FWS and NOAA to pay rewards for information on wildlife trafficking and the extent to which the agencies paid such rewards from fiscal years 2007 through 2017, (2) the agencies' reward policies, (3) information available to the public on rewards, and (4) the extent to which the agencies reviewed the effectiveness of their use of rewards. GAO reviewed laws, examined FWS and NOAA policies and public communications on rewards, analyzed agency reward data for fiscal years 2007 through 2017 and assessed their reliability, interviewed FWS and NOAA officials, and compared agency policies and public communications on rewards to federal internal control standards. What GAO Recommends GAO is making seven recommendations, including that FWS and NOAA track reward information, FWS augment its reward policy to specify factors for agents to consider when developing proposed reward amounts, FWS and NOAA develop plans to communicate more reward information to the public, and FWS and NOAA review the effectiveness of their reward use. Both agencies concurred with these recommendations.

Details: Washington, DC: GAO, 2018. 55p.

Source: Internet Resource: GAO-18-279, Accessed May 14, 2018 at: https://www.gao.gov/assets/700/691401.pdf

Year: 2018

Country: International

URL: https://www.gao.gov/assets/700/691401.pdf

Shelf Number: 150176

Keywords:
Illegal Trade
Trafficking in Wildlife
Wildlife Crime
Wildlife Poaching
Wildlife Trafficking

Author: Smirnov, Denis

Title: Assessment of Scope of Illegal Logging in Laos and Associated Trans-Boundary Timber Trade

Summary: Main findings - The Government of Laos lacks reliable information on issued logging licenses (quotas), the officially registered volume of timber harvested, and export of wooden products. For example, Lao wood exports to China and Vietnam from 2012-2014 as reported by importing countries exceeded total annual logging quotas many-fold and officially registered volume of timber by an order of magnitude. The total value of Lao wood products as reported by importing countries exceeds the value of exported wood products by analysis of data from Lao state customs statistics many-fold, and a disparity between these two data sets increases further. In 2013 the official export value was only 8% of the total value of Lao timber imported as reported by destination countries. - According to the data from importing countries the export value of Lao wood products has been growing exponentially from the end of 2000s. From 2009 to 2014 it increased more than 8 times (by 70% between 2013 and 2014) and reached US$1.7 billion. In 2014, China and Vietnam were responsible for 96% of Lao wood export in value terms (63 and 33%, respectively). Moreover export to China increased by 140% on 2013 levels. This growth in value of Lao timber exports to China and Vietnam is caused by a simultaneous increase in exported timber volume and increase in the value of exported product units due to the greater proportion of valuable tree species in Lao exports. - The ban on export of logs and sawn timber imposed by the Government of Laos from 1999- 2002 with the aim to encourage development of deep processing of timber in the country is either not enforced or circumvented due to numerous permissions issued in "exceptional cases". The share of unprocessed and sawn wood in total exports from Laos in monetary terms almost always exceeded 90% in a period between 2000 and 2014, hitting 95% in 2011-2013 and nearly 98% in 2014. From the mid-2000s the share of logs in exports has been increasing steadily and reached 56% in 2014 while in 2002 accounted for only 14% (furthermore export value of logs doubled in 2014 compared to 2013). - The comparison of official data on volumes of issued quotas and the officially registered volume of timber harvested in Laos' four southern provinces of Sekong, Saravan, Champassak and Attapeu ("CarBi monitoring area") in the 2011-2012 logging season, with data on export of wood products from this area, has found that >50% of timber products exported were from undocumented sources. In monetary equivalent the value of excessive timber could exceed the Lao budget income from timber sales planned for the 2013-2014 fiscal year threefold. - Not less than 50% (most likely more than 60%) of wood products exported in the 2010-2011 logging season from Sekong were from undocumented sources. - The sheer volume of undocumented timber involved suggests that its extraction and transportation was conducted by large companies who had been permitted to legally assemble and operate a very high number of heavy equipment inside the extraction areas and to and from the country's borders. Such large fleets of heavy equipment are usually only assembled to convert forest lands for plantations, roads, transmission lines, reservoirs, mining, or geologic prospecting. - Following the above assumption we found the timing of these huge volumes of undocumented timber to be following a dramatic increase in Chinese and Vietnamese investments in mining, agriculture, forestry and hydropower in Laos. The majority of the associated projects' concessions were located in forested areas and accordingly contemplates the possibility of logging quotas acquisition. - We investigated the above correlation by comparing logging quotas issued for land clearance of one mining and one road construction project in the provinces of Saravan and Sekong with actual timber extraction. Analysis of relevant official documents, field surveys of logging sites and log depots, and interpretation of high resolution satellite images have been applied. We found 100% of timber extracted under the road construction project and 99% of the timber from the mining project to be illegal. Legal violations included: a. Extraction outside of concession boundaries. In the case of mining 76% of detected new logging sites were located beyond the concession borders while in the case of road construction all logging was found beyond the zone allocated for construction (in one case 40 km away from the closest point of the road). b. Logging comes in the form of extraction of only the best quality trees of target species with the highest volume. Species composition and grades of actually harvested timber drastically differed from what was permitted under quotas. Accordingly composition and volume of harvested timber had nothing to do with the results of pre-felling survey. c. Pre-felling survey of timber designated for logging is either not carried out or done only technically (formally) for the sake of appearance. In the case of mining it was completed only for 40% of the concession already after the commencement of the logging and was not used practically. There is every indication that the pre-felling survey for the road construction concession was not undertaken on the ground and documents include fictitious data. d. There was extraction of species not permitted to be cut (including prohibited for logging) and export of species in which harvest was not documented (including rosewood species). e. Extraction of higher volumes than permitted. In the case of road construction, the volume of exported timber (as it was reported to Vietnamese customs) exceeded over the entire officially documented harvest more than threefold. f. There was underreporting of the quality of harvested timber by selling Lao authorities and undervaluation of timber by Lao timber exporter, supposedly in order to understate royalties and taxes to Lao state. In the road construction case, the average volume of logs as reported by the importer at Vietnamese customs was 1.7-2.6 times higher than in log lists and sale-purchase contracts for the same species in Laos. Prices of exported timber as reported by the importer to Vietnamese customs was 2.9-4.2 higher than contract prices indicated in documents by the Lao exporter for same species on the Lao side. - The findings of these case studies and observations of other logging quotas allow us to suggest that in reality the use of permits for harvesting "conversion" timber during realization of development projects de-facto became a way to legitimate large-scale high grading in all types of forests (including conservation and protection forests). - The discrepancy between officially registered supply of raw materials to wood processing factories and their processing capacity is striking and obvious. Official logging quotas in the provinces of Saravan and Sekong can only fill 25% of installed wood processing capacity at best. The remaining capacity is likely filled with illegal timber. - The activity of state forest inspection (and most likely other Lao state law enforcement agencies responsible for fighting illegal logging) does not have any significant impact on the dynamics and scope of illegal logging as they do not inspect logging operations under logging quotas for conversion timber (neither logging sites nor logging volumes) and further turnover of this timber (transportation, processing, export). In the four southern Laos provinces they confiscated only about 3-5% of the estimated illegal timber volume in 2011- 2012. But even this confiscated timber originated from small operations and the large-scale commercial operations by big companies remained untouched. - The high dependence of China and critical dependence of Vietnam on timber supply from Laos makes it is unlikely that the governments of these countries are ready to take steps to control import legality. It is evident that such actions would reduce dramatically the volume and quality of timber from Laos together with the profit of timber traders and wood processing companies which enjoy excess profits from purchasing raw material for underestimated prices. An indication is the elegant wording suggested by the Vietnamese government for its draft legality definition for its negotiations of a FLEGT Voluntary Partnership Agreement with the EU. It does not require importers to provide assurance that imported timber was legally harvested in the country of harvest, but rather that it was legally imported to Vietnam according to Vietnamese laws. - The situation with timber harvesting in Laos is evolving under a worst-case scenario exactly opposite to what was envisaged by Forest Strategy to the Year 2020 of the Lao PDR (endorsed by Decree No. 229/PM on 9 of August 2005): transition to sourcing timber from plantations and production forests on the basis of scientifically estimated annual allowable cut, processing of almost all harvested timber at Lao factories to final and semi-final products. Contrary to the government's good intentions developments under the actual scenario will undoubtedly lead to the sheer depletion of commercial timber stocks in its natural forests - on the same path that Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia have already taken. - Were the Lao government serious to change the status quo and avoid a worst-case scenario it would have to take immediate actions to assure that logging quotas for conversion timber meet fundamental legal requirements. The efforts must be focused on most critical points where urgent interventions are required and progress can be measured: a) Allow logging only within authorized borders. b) Provide unambiguous maps with crystal clear borders of all concessions where timber harvesting is permitted. c) Demarcate all boundaries before the beginning of logging. d) Conduct rigorous pre-felling surveys. e) Create and make available for all interested parties a database with key information about all permitted logging before the beginning of logging. f) Make field control over logging operations under quotas for conversion timber a priority for forest inspection staff. g) Use high and very high resolution satellite images as additional independent sources of information. h) Establish an independent monitoring body comprising representatives of the relevant government agencies, CSOs and INGOs with unrestricted access to all logging areas. i) Operate all forest inspection check points 24/7 and inspect timber transports en route. Not only search and detain carriers of small shipments of valuable timber but systematically register all timber shipments with information on type of product, volume and species composition regardless of the availability of "legally issued permits". j) Register timber turnover at all key points of the chain to match raw wood input with product output. Investigate mismatches thoroughly. k) Maintain account of timber supply to log landings throughout the whole logging season and regularly check accuracy of log lists maintenance. l) Regularly inspect wood processing factories to verify stocks of wood products presented in the factory against raw wood supply from documented sources. Test conversion factor of raw material to processed wood. m) Completely forbid bartering logging permits for investment in public projects.

Details: London: World Wildlife Fund, 2015. 106p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 23, 2018 at: https://wildleaks.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/CarBi-assessment-of-scope2.pdf

Year: 2015

Country: Laos

URL: https://wildleaks.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/CarBi-assessment-of-scope2.pdf

Shelf Number: 150346

Keywords:
Deforestation
Environmental Crimes
Forests
Illegal Logging
Illegal Trade
Natural Resources
Offenses Against the Environment

Author: Aucoin, Ciara

Title: Tackling supply and demand in the rhino horn trade

Summary: The majority of responses to the growing illegal trade in rhino horn aim to curb supply through frontline enforcement and security in parks and reserves in Southern Africa, particularly South Africa. They include recent advances in legalising the trade. Far less effort has been made to involve local communities in anti-poaching efforts or reduce the appetite for rhino horn in East Asia. This policy brief reviews available information on supply and demand in rhino horn markets, analysing the main responses and their impacts. It advocates greater policy coherence in supply-side measures and more regional and international cooperation in demand-side campaigns. Key points - Responses to the illicit trade in rhino horn have mainly focused on the supply side. The burden of implementing security measures cannot only fall on the under-resourced departments responsible for maintaining national parks. - Improving the protection of rhinos is necessary, but not sufficient. Community-led activities that are well coordinated and funded are needed to ensure local people become key stakeholders in rhino conservation. - Policy focus on curbing the demand for rhino horn must be increased to balance supply-side policy interventions. This requires more support and resources for research and public awareness campaigns in demand countries.

Details: Pretoria: ENACT Project, 2018. 12p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed June 5, 2018 at: https://enact-africa.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/2018_03_28_PolicyBrief_Wildlife.pdf

Year: 2018

Country: South Africa

URL: https://enact-africa.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/2018_03_28_PolicyBrief_Wildlife.pdf

Shelf Number: 150470

Keywords:
Animal Poaching
Illegal Trade
Ivory
Rhinos
wildlife Conservation
Wildlife Crime
Wildlife Law Enforcement

Author: New Jersey. Commission of Investigation

Title: Corrupt Commerce: Heroin, Thievery and the Underground Trade in Stolen Goods

Summary: In two years, he burned through an $800,000 inheritance, lost his home and allowed his family business to die. Desperate and broke, he found a lucrative new way to fund the heroin addiction that consumed his fortune and his life: stolen metal. He tore wire and copper pipe from buildings. He heaved manhole covers from the streets, ripped storm drains from parking lots, pulled heavy metal pins from construction barriers. Then, in an old sedan weighed down nearly to the pavement, he routinely took his haul to a booming scrap yard linked to organized crime in Hillsborough, Somerset County. There, the owner and employees readily bought the stolen metal for cash, no questions asked, not a word to the police. A hundred miles to the south, a young woman hit upon her own way to remedy the dopesickness that dictated her daily rhythms. She led a crew that shoplifted more than $100,000 in goods from major retail chains, then returned the items for gifts cards in the amount of the stolen merchandise. She sold those cards for 50 cents on the dollar to willing businesses across South Jersey. Again, no questions asked, no alert about suspicious behavior. The State Commission of Investigation has found that these circumstances are emblematic of a corrupt and enduring commerce in New Jersey's lightly regulated and often lawless world of scrap yards, pawn shops, cash-for-gold outlets and secondhand goods operations. Driven largely by the heroin and opioid epidemic, this shadowy underground economy is being exploited for profit across the state by convicted felons and elements of organized crime. In business after business, Commission investigators identified owners and employees with extensive criminal histories, including convictions for fraud, burglary, receiving stolen property, assault, firearms violations, narcotics distribution and racketeering. The SCI found evidence of drug-dealing directly from the counter at one shop, the illegal sale of handguns at another and links to a mob-related loansharking scheme at a third. At those locations and others, investigators found that owners and employees regularly accepted stolen goods, from jewelry to power tools, and in some cases directed customers to steal in-demand items likely to maximize profits upon resale. Collectively, the Commission estimates, the businesses have bought and sold tens of millions of dollars in stolen goods in recent years. This thriving marketplace, operating with little oversight or accountability, incentivizes theft and promotes destructive acts against both public and private infrastructure, putting residents in jeopardy. The widespread plundering of copper wiring and heavy-duty backup batteries from cell phone towers undermines cellular service during power outages. The theft of wire that transmits signals along train tracks delays commuters, requires costly repairs and strains an already overtaxed transit system. The removal of electricity-conducting wire from utility substations compromises the power grid. Little is off limits. Scrap hunters have ripped the risers from bleachers at schools, made off with aluminum street lamps from highways and stolen bronze vases from graves. The enormous costs of the illicit bargain between thieves and unscrupulous owners are borne by all New Jerseyans: the ratepayers who see higher bills for cell service and electricity; the consumers who pay more for goods at retail stores; the taxpayers ultimately responsible for replacing infrastructure that has vanished in the night. By providing an easy route for drug addicts and opportunists to cash in on stolen metal and merchandise, these enterprises have helped spawn an endless cycle of theft, one that law enforcement cannot keep pace with, much less end, without a muscular response from the State. The Commission carried out this investigation in keeping with its 50-year-old statutory mandate to identify and expose corruption, to highlight government laxity and gaps in oversight, to determine the effectiveness of New Jersey's laws and to inform the Governor, the Legislature, the Attorney General and the public about the influence and intrusion of organized crime. In particular, the findings set forth in this report build upon groundbreaking investigative work dating back nearly a decade when the SCI became one of the first agencies of government to identify the burgeoning opioid and heroin epidemic. Over the course of this inquiry, SCI investigators issued scores of subpoenas, analyzed banking records and conducted more than 100 interviews with law enforcement officers, metal recyclers, state and municipal officials, representatives of the telecommunications and retail industries, and the owners and employees of outfits engaged in suspect or illegal behavior. Just as significantly, the SCI interviewed those with the clearest view of interactions with these businesses: the addicts and former addicts who carried out thefts for drug money. SCI agents also conducted surveillance at suspect establishments and, in cooperation with police departments and confidential sources, participated in sting operations at scrap yards and secondhand goods stores. In those cases, items purchased by the Commission or lawfully obtained from utilities, phone companies and retail stores were sold to owners or employees with the fictive understanding the items had been stolen. The inquiry found that state and municipal regulations governing these businesses are scattershot, inadequate and unevenly enforced. The State licenses traditional pawn shops, which provide collateral-based loans, while municipalities license cash-for-gold shops, secondhand goods stores and scrap yards. Ordinances vary widely in strength and effectiveness from municipality to municipality. Laws governing some aspects of the businesses have proven to be window dressing, too minimal in scope and so erratically enforced they have failed to deter the prodigious flow of stolen goods. Equally troubling, SCI investigators found that many owners regularly flout the few rules that apply to them with little or no consequence. In some towns, the Commission found, law enforcement officials were unaware their governing bodies had passed ordinances giving police the means to crack down on the businesses - a breakdown in communication and coordination that has sapped accountability. The Commission is mindful that pawn outlets, secondhand goods stores and scrap metal recyclers contribute to the tax base in their communities and provide services helpful to the public. Local scrap yards are building blocks in the international commerce of recycled metal. In addition, not all owners and employees operate flagrantly outside the bounds of decency and the law. But in the absence of meaningful oversight, far too many of these operations have been subverted by criminal activity. The Commission recommends the State take the lead in licensing and regulating these industries. As the Legislature in recent decades has moved to root out organized crime from New Jersey's trash-hauling companies and casinos, so, too, should the State ban mob associates and those with extensive criminal records from trades that remain obvious and attractive pathways for the disposal of stolen property. Further, the Commission recommends requiring owners and employees to record all transactions in an online database accessible by law enforcement. Two such databases are already in use in neighboring states and in a minority of New Jersey municipalities, allowing investigators to more efficiently track sales, identify trends, find stolen merchandise and hold dishonest owners and employees accountable.

Details: Trenton: The Commission, 2018. 108p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed June 21, 2018 at: https://www.nj.gov/sci/pdf/Stolen%20Goods%20Report%20Final.pdf

Year: 2018

Country: United States

URL: https://www.nj.gov/sci/pdf/Stolen%20Goods%20Report%20Final.pdf

Shelf Number: 150626

Keywords:
Illegal Trade
Metal Theft
Narcotics
Opioid Crisis
Organized Crime
Scrap Metal Theft
Stolen Goods
Stolen Property
Trafficking in Narcotics
Underground Economy

Author: Global Witness

Title: A Major Liability: Illegal Logging in Papua New Guinea Threatens China's Timber Sector and Global Reputation

Summary: In 2016, PNG provided 29% of China's tropical log imports, making it the country's single largest supplier. But our investigation reveals how a large number of logging operations in Papua New Guinea (PNG) violate the law despite holding government-issued permits. China is the world's largest consumer and manufacturer of wood and wood products. Yet it has no regulation to keep illegal timber from entering its borders. The risk of illegal timber from countries like PNG flooding China's markets has the potential to damage its reputation and major trade relationships as buyers in the U.S. and EU, which ban illegal timber imports, take action to protect themselves. This trade has profound implications for PNG as well. 70% of the country is covered by forest ecosystems that are home to some of the world's rarest plants and animals. The forest is also central to the cultural traditions and livelihoods of PNG's eight million people. By continuing to import tropical timber from PNG on such a scale, China is driving the destruction of a vulnerable and ancient forest. In A Major Liability, we draw on satellite imagery to show hundreds of apparent violations of the country's Forestry Act in major logging operations - all of which hold government permits and all of which continue to export timber.

Details: London: Global Witness, 2018. 19p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 7, 2018 at https://www.globalwitness.org/en/campaigns/forests/major-liability-illegal-logging-papua-new-guinea-threatens-chinas-timber-sector-and-global-reputation/

Year: 2018

Country: Asia

URL: https://www.globalwitness.org/en/campaigns/forests/major-liability-illegal-logging-papua-new-guinea-threatens-chinas-timber-sector-and-global-reputation/

Shelf Number: 151431

Keywords:
Deforestation
Environmental Crime
Forests
Illegal Logging
Illegal Trade
Natural Resources
Offenses Against the Environment
Timber Industry

Author: Martin, Esmond

Title: The South and South East Asian Ivory Markets

Summary: The purpose of this study is to provide base line data on the ivory trade in the main markets of South and South East Asia in order that national governments, CITES officials and NGOs may assess the effectiveness of policies, laws and enforcement activities relating to the internal and international trade in ivory now and in the future. The information obtained by the investigators may also be used to infer what is happening in respect to the illegal killings of elephants in Asia. The two investigators, Esmond Martin and Daniel Stiles, carried out field-work from November 2000 to late March 2001, sponsored by Save the Elephants, in the most important towns and cities in the eight main countries dealing in ivory in South and South East Asia. Historical and contemporary data were collected on the price of raw tusks, number of ivory workshops, number of ivory craftsmen, number of shops selling ivory items, number of ivory items seen in these shops, types of ivory objects for sale, and retail prices for ivory items. Information was also obtained on the number of wild and domesticated elephants, the international and domestic trade routes for tusks, and the nationalities of the buyers of ivory objects. Below are the key findings of our report: - Wild elephant population in Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam from 1988 to 2000 have declined by over 80% in total from an estimated 6,250 to 1,510, largely due to the trade in ivory and other elephant products. Myanmar, with the largest wild elephant population left of the countries visited (estimated to be 4,820), has suffered a net loss of over a thousand elephants since 1990. - The main factors responsible for elephant poaching are the large economic return in selling tusks, the lack of paid jobs, poverty, and wide-spread corruption by the military and other government staff in poaching elephants and trading in their tusks. - The largest illegal movement of tusks from wild Asian elephants are those from Myanmar to Thailand, and from Laos and Cambodia to Vietnam. Many countries with ivory carving industries in the regions surveyed receive illegal raw Asian ivory from neighbouring countries. Thailand and to lesser extent Vietnam are the only countries in South and South East Asia surveyed that import raw African ivory. This is smuggled into Thailand in significant quantities, with the wholesale price in Thailand the same as for Asian ivory, though in Vietnam African ivory is somewhat cheaper. - Tusk tips from male domesticated elephants are an important source of ivory in Myanmar and Thailand as these countries have the largest numbers of domesticated elephants compared with the others surveyed, and pruning is relatively common. - From the 1980s to 2001 the wholesale price of Asian tusks has increased in all the countries surveyed due to the continued demand for worked ivory items and the greater shortage of ivory within the countries. Prices have, however, decreased from the mid-1990s to 2001 in Nepal, Myanmar and Cambodia. Mid-1990s data are not available for the other countries. - The average wholesale price for tusks in this study is over five times higher than in Africa (USD 250/kg versus USD 45/kg) due to the smaller quantities of ivory available and the greater demand. - None of the governments has proper legal control of the ivory trade within their boundaries Officials also take bribes in order to allow ivory to enter and leave their countries. - The number of ivory craftsmen has decreased sharply in South and South East Asia since the late 1980s and there is now none left in Singapore. - The quality of ivory workmanship has declined since the 1980s, with the possible exception of Myanmar. The growing middle classes in Asia are less discerning than earlier buyers and want cheaply-priced trinkets and jewellery as do the increasing numbers of package tourists from the west. - Worked ivory sales are illegal in Sri Lanka, Nepal, Laos and Vietnam. It is legal to sell worked ivory originating prior to a certain date in Singapore and Cambodia, and from domesticated elephants in Thailand. The only country without restrictions on selling worked ivory is Myanmar. - Over 105,000 ivory items were found for retail sale in the 521 shops in the 17 towns and cities in the eight countries surveyed. - By far the largest amount of the foreign worked ivory in the countries visited is from China. Since 1990, exports from China and imports of these ivory items have been mostly illegal. In Singapore almost all the worked ivory for sale is from China, and in Nepal over a third. The other countries visited have Chinese ivory items for sale, but much smaller amounts compared to locally carved ivory. - The main customers for ivory items in the major ivory markets of Thailand and Vietnam are tourists and businessmen from Europe (especially the French, Germans and Italians), Japan, Taiwan, Thailand, Singapore, China and USA in that order. The number of Asians buying ivory has increased proportionately in the last ten years. - Thailand has by far the largest domestic market for ivory items with over 80% of the total surveyed. The towns and cities with the largest number of ivory objects for sale are Phayuha Kiri, Bangkok, and Chiang Mai. Next are Yangon, Singapore, Mandalay, Ho Chi Minh City, Kathmandu, Vientiane and Hanoi in that order. The towns and cities visited in Sri Lanka have the least number of ivory items seen. - The highest quality worked pieces were seen in Singapore, which are mainly newer Chinese items, and in Bangkok, which are older Thai, Chinese, Japanese and other South East Asian pieces. - Over 85% of all the ivory items offered for sale is jewellery as these objects are in great demand being cheap and easy to smuggle. - For ivory items of similar quality and size, the highest retail prices by far are in Singapore because of the high costs of living. Although in the other places visited individual items vary greatly in price, the overall price of ivory items is much the same. - In Sri Lanka, Cambodia and Laos, elephant ivory items are very few because most ivory-coloured trinkets are made out of substitutes such as bones and resins as they are cheaper and more readily available. Some vendors attempt to sell the substitute materials as ivory, but generally this is not the case. - No trader, craftsman nor vendor mentioned the CITES sanctioned one-off sale of raw ivory from government held stocks in Zimbabwe, Botswana and Namibia to Japan in 1999, unlike a few ivory dealers in Africa who thought that this might lead to further opening up of the ivory trade. - The craftsmen and vendors in South and South East Asia are pessimistic about the future of the ivory business, except in Myanmar. Very few craftsmen are training younger people to continue the profession, apart from in Mandalay, where it is common for senior craftsmen to train apprentices.

Details: Nairobi: Save the Elephants, 2002. 96p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 10, 2018 at: http://www.rhinoresourcecenter.com/index.php?s=1&act=pdfviewer&id=1415326386&folder=141

Year: 2002

Country: Asia

URL: http://www.rhinoresourcecenter.com/index.php?s=1&act=pdfviewer&id=1415326386&folder=141

Shelf Number: 151060

Keywords:
Animal Poaching
Elephants
Illegal Trade
Ivory
Wildlife Crime
Wildlife Trace

Author: Rekawek, Kacper

Title: From Criminals to Terrorists and Back? Kick-Off Report

Summary: The most well-known ISIS terrorist atrocities in Europe, including the 2015 Paris and 2016 Brussels attacks, saw individuals who in the past had been involved in organized crime and illegal trade graduate into the ranks of the world's most successful terrorist organisation. It is now widely assumed that Europe's terrorists are no longer radicals first and foremost but criminals who turned to political violence at some stage throughout their ordinary crime careers. Thus a threat emanating from the "crime-terror nexus" hangs over Europe. GLOBSEC, an independent, non-partisan, non-governmental organisation which aims to shape the global debate on foreign and security policy, responded to this threat by developing a research and advocacy project aimed at addressing the "crime-terror nexus" in Europe. Our project titled From Criminals to Terrorists and Back? will: collect, collate and analyse data on terrorism convicts from 11 EU countries (Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, the UK) with the highest number of arrests for terrorism offences. We will investigate whether these individuals had prior criminal connections, and if so, whether a specific connection to illegal trade is a precursor to terrorism, and to what extent this trade funds terrorism. In short, we will check whether crime-terror nexus exists and how strong it truly is. disseminate project findings at high profile GLOBSEC Strategic Forums (GLOBSEC Bratislava Forum, TATRA Summit, Chateau Bela conferences) and other internationally acclaimed gatherings which attract decision makers, experts, private sector and law enforcement representatives, while also incorporating their expert level feedback into our work. help shape and strengthen the European counter-terrorism efforts by providing tailor made solutions on combating crime-terror nexus and terrorist financing via education and awareness, and advocacy efforts involving decision makers and security stakeholders in the 11 targeted countries. This line of activity directly links the project to the widely acclaimed work of the GLOBSEC Intelligence Reform Initiative (GIRI), led by Sec. Michael Chertoff, which is involved in developing and promoting more effective transatlantic counter-terrorism solutions.

Details: Bratislava, Slovak Republic: GLOBSEC Policy Institute, 2018. 33p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 12, 2018 at: https://www.globsec.org/projects/criminals-terrorists-back/

Year: 2018

Country: Europe

URL: https://www.globsec.org/projects/criminals-terrorists-back/

Shelf Number: 152909

Keywords:
Counter-Terrorism
Crime-Terror Nexus
Illegal Trade
Security
Terrorism
Terrorist Financing
Terrorists

Author: Transparency International

Title: European Getaway: Inside the Murky World of Golden Visas

Summary: Burgundy passports are turning gold, as EU governments sell residency and citizenship to the ultra-rich. By their nature, these schemes pose inherent risks for corruption, as people who steal money from their home countries need other jurisdictions to escape to when the going gets tough. Golden visa schemes offer fast-track citizenship and/or residency to foreign nationals in exchange for lots of cash. European golden visas are particularly appealing, as they give their owners free reign to move throughout the EU, unconstrained by interference or checks. There are numerous examples of high-risk business people and oligarchs enjoying all the benefits that golden visas have to offer. Finding safe haven through these schemes is simpler than you might think if you have a lot of money to spare. Despite the risks posed by golden visa schemes, several of the governments selling residency and citizenship do not seem to question where applicants' money comes from. This perhaps contributes to the EU: Welcoming over 6,000 new citizens and close to 100,000 new residents through golden visas schemes in the last decade. Attracting around �25 billion in foreign direct investment through golden visas over the last ten years. While some nations are profiting from the sales of golden visas, all EU citizens take the sizeable hit due to the ethical implications and risks embedded in the current practice. Nonetheless, secrecy continues to obscure even basic information about these schemes and EU citizens do not have the information necessary to decide whether selling residency or citizenship is a risk worth taking. We have worked with Transparency International to change this, investigating publicly available sources and reaching out to national governments for additional information. In our latest report, we are able to shine some light on the shady situation, revealing a telling though still incomplete picture of the golden visa scheme. RECOMMENDATIONS: With Transparency International, we call upon EU institutions to: Set EU-wide standards for golden visa schemes, including enhanced due diligence and transparency; Identify and regularly assess the risks posed by schemes for the EU as a whole and mitigate accordingly; Seek to broaden anti-money laundering rules so they apply to all players in the golden visa industry; Establish mechanisms for collecting and coordinating information on applications, investment and rejections; Start legal proceedings against member states whose schemes could undermine the collective security of EU nations.

Details: Berlin: Transparency International and Global Witness, 2018. 88p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 12, 2018 at: https://www.globalwitness.org/en/campaigns/corruption-and-money-laundering/european-getaway/

Year: 2018

Country: International

URL: https://www.globalwitness.org/en/campaigns/corruption-and-money-laundering/european-getaway/

Shelf Number: 152914

Keywords:
Financial Crimes
Illegal Trade
Money Laundering
Passports
Security

Author: Earthsight

Title: Complicit in Corruption: How billion-dollar firms and EU governments are failing Ukraine's forests

Summary: - For the last two years, Earthsight has been investigating illegal logging and timber corruption in Ukraine, and tracking connections to overseas markets. Our findings reveal an industry steeped in illegality, with the biggest problems involving corruption among the state enterprises that do most of the logging, and their superiors within the country's forest administration. This corruption is threatening Ukraine's forests - home to lynx, bear and wolves - and also undermining wider governance in a fragile state suffering from armed conflict. - Earthsight's field studies revealed multiple breaches of regulations governing harvesting in every logging enterprise visited. The most destructive is the systematic abuse of loopholes allowing trees to be harvested to prevent the spread of disease. - We reveal how a previous national forestry chief is the subject of an ongoing criminal investigation for having creamed off over L30 million into Swiss bank accounts in bribes from overseas timber importers, in exchange for access to wood at discounted prices. Our evidence indicates that similar high‐level corruption has continued since his downfall. - There are major ongoing province‐wide criminal corruption investigations relating to two of the three largest timber producing regions. The head of forestry in another province, in the Ukrainian Carpathians, was caught red‐handed in a sting operation in October 2017 trying to bribe police to turn a blind eye to widespread illegalities. Corruption at the district level in sales of timber for domestic processing, meanwhile, is feeding a growing 'shadow lumber' industry of over 12,000 illegal sawmills. - The EU is by far the largest destination for Ukrainian wood exports, representing 70 per cent of the total. EU purchases have been rising rapidly, breaking L1 billion in 2017. Our findings suggest that at least 40 per cent of this wood was harvested or traded illegally, with the aid of corruption. They also indicate that Ukraine is the largest single supplier of such high‐risk wood to the EU, exceeding all of the tropical countries of Latin America, Africa and SE Asia combined. > The EU buyers of Ukrainian wood include many of the world�s largest multinational wood processing companies. We found many of these companies are mentioned in ongoing criminal investigations relating to illegal logging, illegal wood exports and related corruption. One has even been specifically implicated in the corrupt scheme masterminded by the former forest chief. All of them continue to import large volumes of wood from state logging enterprises which are the subject of such investigations. - Products produced by these companies, potentially tainted with Ukrainian wood of illegal origin, are to be found on sale throughout the EU, including in branches of the largest DIY, furniture and supermarket chains on the continent. - The EU has long recognised that its huge demand for cheap wood has in the past helped drive illegality in the forests of supplier countries. As a result, since 2013, it has had a law in place which is meant to prevent wood imports of likely illegal origin. But our findings reveal that for Ukraine this law is not working. Authorities in key Member States are failing to meaningfully enforce it. Its impact is also being undermined by false confidence being placed by buyers and authorities in the independent 'certification' of forests by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). - Brave activists in Ukraine are battling timber corruption at significant personal risk, as are progressive elements within the government. Some European officials are making real efforts to help. But under pressure from the giant firms dependent on steady supplies of cheap Ukrainian wood, the EU has used its greatest leverage to push the Ukrainian government to overturn its ban on exports of raw logs.

Details: London: Earthsight, 2018. 63p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed Dec. 7, 2018 at: https://docs.wixstatic.com/ugd/624187_b18651c93cce4e1d8fce83e9b922c871.pdf

Year: 2018

Country: Ukraine

URL: https://docs.wixstatic.com/ugd/624187_b18651c93cce4e1d8fce83e9b922c871.pdf

Shelf Number: 153941

Keywords:
Environmental Crime
Forests
Illegal Logging
Illegal Trade
Offenses Against the Environment
Political Corruption

Author: Balogun, Wasiu Abiodun

Title: Crude oil theft, petrol-piracy and illegal trade in fuel:an enterprise-value chain perspective of energy-maritime crime in the Gulf of Guinea

Summary: he Gulf of Guinea (GoG) has developed into a global energy-maritime crime hotspot, with Nigeria being the epicentre of illegal oil-related maritime activities in the region. For several decades, scholars have sought to justify crude oil theft, petro-piracy and illegal fuel trade especially in the waters of Nigeria, in the context of greed-grievance. While that approach provides a basis for understanding the realities of illegal energy-maritime activities in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria, it does little to explain how the illicit activities have evolved into a global enterprise it is today, the dynamics of the business and the infrastructure that sustain the criminality. Against the backdrop of this limitation in existing theoretical underpinning of illegal energy-maritime activities in the GoG, this study adopts an enterprise-value chain model which, moving beyond the greed-grievance narrative, emphasises the primacy of both the enterprise and the marketplace (not players in the market) in explaining, and understanding the dynamics, complexities and persistence of crude oil theft, petro-piracy and illegal fuel trade in the GoG. The enterprise-value chain approach as adopted in the study, offers an advantage of interdisciplinary perspective, combining Smith's enterprise theory of crime and Porter's business management concept of value chain to understanding energy-maritime criminality in the GoG. The enterprise-value chain model sees the tripod of crude oil theft, petro-piracy and illegal trade in fuel as an organised crime; a well-structured economic activity whose business philosophy hinges on the provision of illegal goods and services. Such activities exist because the legitimate marketplace has limited capacity to meet the needs of potential customers. Within the enterprise-value chain framework, the study identifies, and analyses the dynamics of overlap, cooperation and conflict among the different players in the illegal energy-maritime industry as well as mutually beneficial relationships between formal and informal energy-maritime economies. Such an overlap is critical to understanding both the nature of the business and its sustaining value chain. The study concludes that current energy-maritime security architecture in the Gulf of Guinea does not capture the organised, enterprise nature of illicit offshore and onshore activities and its sustaining value chain, which highlights its inherent limitation viz-a-viz the region-s quest for energy-maritime security. There is therefore an urgent need to address this seeming gap as it determines significantly how the phenomenon is considered both for academic purposes and public policy. It is this obvious gap in both academic literature and policy on maritime security in the GoG that this study intends to fill. The study, in the context of its theoretical framework, develops a business approach to enhancing energy-maritime security in the GoG.

Details: Lancaster, UK: Lancaster University, 2018. 313p.

Source: Internet Resource: Dissertation: Accessed February 19, 2019 at: http://eprints.lancs.ac.uk/129813/

Year: 2018

Country: Guinea

URL: http://eprints.lancs.ac.uk/129813/

Shelf Number: 154670

Keywords:
Crime Hotspots
Illegal Trade
Maritime Crime
Maritime Security
Oil Theft
Piracy

Author: Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA)

Title: State of Corruption: The top-level conspiracy behind the global trade in Myanmar's stolen teak

Summary: The forests of Myanmar are defined by their monetary value and have been part of the military and economic elites' profits and, in some cases, survival for decades. The entire legal state forestry and timber trade sectors are riddled with corruption. Current laws seem to seek the criminalisation of local people and the Government is undermining the communities' reliance on resources while at the same time introducing a centralised system of management they are unable to implement. Myanmar's government presents the teak trade as being wholly legal and sustainable, produced in compliance with the rule of law. This is simply not the case. A two-year undercover investigation by the Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) into a near-mythic 'Burmese teak kingpin' who conspired with and bribed the most senior military and government officials in Myanmar has revealed how he was able to establish a system of fraudulent trade. This was run in parallel to, and within, the official legal trade administered by the Myanmar Timber Enterprise (MTE) - a state-owned company with a monopoly on all logging and timber trade in the country.

Details: London: EIA, 2019. 43p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 27, 2019 at: https://www.illegal-logging.info/sites/files/chlogging/EIA-report-State-of-Corruption-ilovepdf-compressed.pdf

Year: 2019

Country: Burma

URL: https://www.illegal-logging.info/sites/files/chlogging/EIA-report-State-of-Corruption-ilovepdf-compressed.pdf

Shelf Number: 154772

Keywords:
Environmental Crimes
Forest
Illegal Logging
Illegal Trade
Offenses Against the Environment
Teak

Author: Global Witness

Title: Total Systems Failure: Exposing the Global Secrecy Destroying Forests in the Democratic Republic of Congo

Summary: Our two-year investigation reveals that European company Norsudtimber - the biggest single owner of logging concessions covering over 40,000 km2 of rainforest in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) - is operating illegally on 90% of its sites. At the same time, Norway and France are planning to fund an US$18 million programme, which includes backing the expansion of industrial logging in DRC and support to Norsudtimber - which is headquartered in the Alpine tax haven of Liechtenstein. This directly contradicts both countries' climate and forest protection goals. Expanding industrial logging in DRC's rainforest could generate 35 million tonnes of extra CO2 emissions per year, thereby accelerating climate change. China, Vietnam, France and Portugal are also all failing to stop Norsudtimber's illegal timber trading: 78% of its timber exports went to Vietnam and China between 2013 and 2017, 11% went to Europe, with the majority going to Portugal and France. Almost 60% of the timber exported comes from endangered or vulnerable tree species. The report "Total Systems Failure" shows how a global web of secrecy - made up of tax havens and shell companies listed in Liechtenstein, Dubai and Hong Kong - is facilitating this illegal international trade whilst protecting three Portuguese brothers at the head of the company from scrutiny. Norsudtimber's detailed response to the allegations is included in Global Witness' report.

Details: London: The Author, 2018. 80p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 29, 2019 at: https://www.globalwitness.org/en/campaigns/forests/total-systems-failure/

Year: 2018

Country: Congo, Democratic Republic

URL: https://www.globalwitness.org/en/campaigns/forests/total-systems-failure/

Shelf Number: 155218

Keywords:
Climate Change
Environmental Crime
Forests
Illegal Logging
Illegal Trade
Offenses Against the Environment
Timber

Author: Colomina, Pierre

Title: From Criminals to Terrorists and Back? Quarterly Report: France

Summary: The worse ISIS terrorist atrocities in Europe, including the 2015 Paris and 2016 Brussels attacks, were undertaken by individuals who had been involved in criminality and illegal trade before they joined the ranks of the world's most dangerous terrorist organisation. It is no longer widely assumed that Europe's terrorists are radicals first and foremost: the bulk of them are criminals who turned to political violence along the way. The threat of a "crime-terror nexus" therefore hangs over Europe. In view of this, GLOBSEC - an independent, non-partisan, nongovernmental organisation aiming to shape the global debate on foreign and security policy - has developed a research and advocacy project aimed at addressing the "crime-terror nexus" in Europe. Titled From Criminals to Terrorists and Back?, the remit of the project is to: 1. collect, collate and analyse data on terrorism convicts from 11 EU countries (Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, the UK) with the highest number of arrests for terrorism offences. We will investigate whether these individuals had prior criminal connections, and if so, whether a specific connection to illegal trade is a precursor to terrorism, and to what extent this trade funds terrorism. In short, we will check whether crime-terror nexus exists and how strong it truly is. 2. disseminate project findings at high profile GLOBSEC Strategic Forums (GLOBSEC Bratislava Forum, TATRA Summit, Chateau Bela conferences) and other internationally acclaimed gatherings which attract decision makers, experts, private sector and law enforcement representatives, while also incorporating their expert level feedback into our work. 3. help shape and strengthen the European counter-terrorism efforts by providing tailor made solutions on combating crime-terror nexus and terrorist financing via education and awareness, and advocacy efforts involving decision makers and security stakeholders in the 11 targeted countries. This line of activity directly links the project to the widely acclaimed work of the GLOBSEC Intelligence Reform Initiative (GIRI), led by Sec. Michael Chertoff, which is involved in developing and promoting more effective transatlantic counter-terrorism solutions.

Details: Bratislava, Slovak Republic: GLOBSEC Policy Institute, 2019. 9p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 2, 2019 at: https://www.globsec.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/From-Criminals-To-Terrorists-And-Back-Quarterly-Report-France-Vol-2.pdf

Year: 2019

Country: France

URL: https://www.globsec.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/From-Criminals-To-Terrorists-And-Back-Quarterly-Report-France-Vol-2.pdf

Shelf Number: 155599

Keywords:
Counter-Terrorism
Crime-Terror Nexus
Illegal Trade
Security
Terrorism
Terrorist Financing
Terrorists

Author: Musing, Louisa

Title: Corruption and Wildlife Crime: A Focus on Caviar Trade

Summary: Corruption is a severe threat to wildlife conservation globally. While conservation practitioner anecdotes and existing empirical research all point to corruption as a main facilitator enabling wildlife crime, there is still limited knowledge about what can change this situation and help reverse the pernicious impact of corruption on conservation outcomes in practice. Corruption has a negative impact on conservation by reducing the effectiveness of conservation programmes, reducing law enforcement and political support, as well as establishing incentives for the over-exploitation of resources. It undermines the effectiveness and legitimacy of laws and regulations and can be an indicator of the presence of organised crime groups. Corruption needs to be addressed as a central part of the approach to tackling wildlife crime. As part of a wider project by TRAFFIC in collaboration with WWF to understand global caviar markets and to identify hotspots for illegal trade (Harris and Shiraishi, 2018), funding was provided by WWF to incorporate an anti-corruption component, working in partnership with and under the guidance of the U4 Anti-Corruption Resource Centre. The objectives of this component were to deepen understanding of how corruption may be facilitating the flow of illegal caviar along the value chain, to identify possible intervention strategies, and to inform further studies concerning environmental / wildlife crime and corruption. A typology of corruption for the illegal caviar trade was developed through the review of information gathered by TRAFFIC from academic literature and media reports, interviews with stakeholders who had some knowledge of illegal caviar trade, and the rapid market assessments in Beijing, Berlin, Chicago, Moscow, Paris and Tokyo that were conducted as part of the global caviar markets study (Harris and Shiraishi, 2018). Furthermore, a discussion group with anti-corruption, wildlife trade and sturgeon conservation experts (Table 1) was organised in April 2018 to discuss initial findings from TRAFFIC's rapid assessments, to refine the typology (Figure 3), to develop recommendations for policy and practice, and to build working relationships to support possible future studies (see Annex 1 for discussion group agenda). This report summarises key themes of corruption and wildlife crime as drawn from the literature reviews and interviews, and salient points arising from the discussion group in April 2018.

Details: Cambridge, UK: A TRAFFIC, WWF, U4 ACRC, Utrecht University, and Northumbria University report , 2019. 42p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed June 12, 2019 at: https://www.traffic.org/site/assets/files/11818/corruption-and-caviar-final.pdf

Year: 2019

Country: International

URL: https://www.traffic.org/site/assets/files/11818/corruption-and-caviar-final.pdf

Shelf Number: 156400

Keywords:
Caviar
Environmental Crime
Illegal Trade
Organized Crime
Political Corruption
Sturgeon
Wildlife Conservation
Wildlife Crime

Author: Economist Intelligence Unit

Title: The Global Illicit Trade Environment Index: Free Trade Zones: Five Case Studies

Summary: Free trade zones (FTZs) are the problem child of global trade. On the one hand they highly valued for their contributions to trade facilitation but on the other they are criticized for vulnerabilities that facilitate many forms of illicit trade and other illegal activities. Though the concept of a "geographically delimited area administered by a single body, offering incentives [to business]" has been around for hundreds of years, it wasn't until the 1980s that countries, mainly in the developing world, truly started creating them. And they were conceived as a means of stimulating economic growth, which in many instances is what they have done, with the most prominent example being the Shenzhen Special Economic Zone (SEZ). Many of the zones have come at a cost, however. In enticing businesses with the promise of a tax-free environment, with little in the way of regulation, governments across the world have created within their borders unmonitored havens ripe for criminal operations, including those of transnational organised crime networks. Over the past decade, numerous international bodies, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and consultancies, including the OECD, the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) and the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, as well as The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), have documented the myriad ways that free trade zones are used to facilitate trade in illicit goods. While no one knows for certain the precise volume or value of illicit trade that flows through the zones, it is estimated, by almost everyone, to be substantial and include counterfeits, narcotics, alcohol, tobacco, pharmaceuticals, wildlife and humans. Moreover, FTZs have been exploited by criminals as a means to initiate and facilitate illicit financial transactions, such as traditional money laundering, trade-based money laundering (TBML) and terrorist financing. Yet, it didn't - and doesn't - have to be this way. Free trade zones don't need to be free of oversight to deliver on their commercial and economic promise, and many governments are grappling with approaches to find the balance between facilitation and control/monitoring. Perhaps what might be concerning are cases where governments appear to be indifferent to the issue, some actively so. To measure how nations are addressing the issue of illicit trade, the Transnational Alliance to Combat Illicit Trade (TRACIT) has commissioned the Economist Intelligence Unit to produce the Global Illicit Trade Environment Index. The global index expands upon an Asia-specific version, originally created by The Economist Intelligence Unit in 2016 to score 17 economies in Asia on the extent to which they enabled or prevented illicit trade. The Asian index generated much needed attention on the issue of illicit trade within the region. Building upon the success of the Asia index, the global index now includes 84 economies, providing a global perspective and new insights on the social and economic impacts of illicit trade.

Details: New York: Transnational Alliance to Combat Illicit Trade (TRACIT), 2018. 28p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed June 21, 2019 at: http://illicittradeindex.eiu.com/documents/EIU%20Global%20Illicit%20Trade%20Environment%20Index%202018%20-%20FTZ%20June%206%20FINAL.pdf

Year: 2018

Country: International

URL: http://illicittradeindex.eiu.com/documents/EIU%20Global%20Illicit%20Trade%20Environment%20Index%202018%20-%20FTZ%20June%206%20FINAL.pdf

Shelf Number: 156581

Keywords:
Free Trade Zones
Illegal Trade
Illicit Trade
Organized Crime

Author: Economist Intelligence Unit

Title: The Global Illicit Trade Environment Index: Serbia, Bosnia and Montenegro

Summary: Geography, history and political culture (characterised by high levels of corruption) combine in the economies of the former Yugoslavia (and the Balkans in general) to create a range of issues when it comes to combatting illicit trade. Serbia, for one, lies on a major trade corridor known as the Balkan route, which is used by criminal groups for various activities, including human trafficking and the trafficking of drugs coming from Asia and South America. Montenegro's ports are similarly used as transit points for the unloading and reloading of illicit cargo destined for Central and Western Europe. Bosnia's porous borders with the former two economies, as well as with neighbouring Croatia, enable easy transit from Eastern Europe and the Balkans region to economies in Western Europe. This could be made worse by the adoption of a Visa Liberalisation Agreement between the European Union's (EU) Schengen zone and Kosovo (which lies in an area considered by Serbia to be vulnerable to trafficking), expected by the end of the year. Compounding the problem, the disintegration of Yugoslavia in the 1990s, and the accompanying conflicts, is thought to have led to an increased risk of terrorism in the region - with an increase in Islamic radicalisation and in nationals of countries and territories in the region joining the so-called Islamic State (IS) as foreign fighters in Syria and Iraq. Ethnic separatist and religious extremist groups are active in some southern regions of Serbia and Kosovo, whose declaration of independence in 2008 was not recognised by Belgrade. These factors lead to increased terrorist financing and thus money laundering. Bosnia's complex and decentralised government structure has also been an obstacle to reforms, and corruption is prevalent in all three economies. This briefing paper will look at the illicit trade environment in Bosnia, Serbia and Montenegro across the four categories of the index: government policy, supply and demand, transparency and trade, and the customs environment. It will consider how these economies compare at global and regional levels, as well as looking at some of the details particular to each.

Details: New York: Transnational Alliance to Combat illicit Trade (TRACIT), 2018. 22p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed June 21, 2019 at: https://www.tracit.org/uploads/1/0/2/2/102238034/eiu_serbia_bosnia_and_montenegro_illicit_trade_paper_final.pdf

Year: 2018

Country: Serbia and Montenegro

URL: https://www.tracit.org/uploads/1/0/2/2/102238034/eiu_serbia_bosnia_and_montenegro_illicit_trade_paper_final.pdf

Shelf Number: 156582

Keywords:
Drug Trafficking
Extremist Groups
Financing of Terrorism
Human Trafficking
Illegal Trade
Illicit Trade
Organized Crime
Political Corruption
Terrorism

Author: Economist Intelligence Unit

Title: The Global Illicit Trade Environment Index: Asia

Summary: Economies around the world are facing the blight of illicit trade, but perhaps nowhere more so than in Asia-Pacifc. The region, long a source of supply for illicit goods - be it counterfeits, drugs, or traffcking in humans or illicit wildlife - is now emerging as a major source of demand, compounding the problem signifcantly. And although not much hard data are available, it is quite clear that "due to rising affuence in Asia and other major consuming economies, illicit trade volumes have gone up," says Steven Galster, founder and executive director of the Freeland Foundation, an Asia based non-governmental organisation (NGO) focused on environmental conservation and human rights, who cited the trade in endangered species, specifically. As a result, wildlife species are disappearing at alarming rates; pirated and mislabelled products are traded freely across borders and sold openly within them, with varied rates of concern and control on the part of governments; narcotics-related incidents frequently make headlines of regional newspapers; human trafficking is becoming even more common, abated and masked at the same time by various refugee crises in South-east Asia; illegal logging remains a threat to deforestation throughout the region, spurring corruption and lining the pockets of criminals with piles of cash; and illegal arms sales are rampant. The Global Illicit Trade Environment Index is a tool not to measure the size of the problem, but to better understand underlying vulnerabilities in economies that give rise to illicit trade or fail to inhibit it. Although the size of the problem in monetary terms is hard to measure, it is clear the sums of illegal money involved are huge, and there is a consensus on the need to curb illicit trade. Through this study, we hope to provide insight on how economies can use the tools at their disposal to create the right environment to do so. Given Asia's geographic, economic and political diversity, it should come as no surprise that its economies have had varying degrees of success in - and varying attitudes towards - combating illicit trade. As the region continues to grow, and as it moves towards deeper economic and trade integration via various trade agreements and related initiatives, such as the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) Economic Community (AEC), there will be an attendant need for it to implement stricter policies on illicit trade. Its record so far is not encouraging. There have, however, been some positive developments in recent years, says Jeremy Douglas, regional representative of the UN Offce on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) for South-east Asia and the Pacifc. Mr Douglas notes that there has been "increasing political interest" in addressing illicit trade and [we are seeing] a couple of key ASEAN member states prioritising action on border management and scanning illicit flows of all kinds. Nevertheless, he does caution that political interest "hasn't translated into practical change yet". To measure how nations are addressing the issue of illicit trade, the Transnational Alliance to Combat Illicit Trade (TRACIT) has commissioned the Economist Intelligence Unit to produce the Global Illicit Trade Environment Index. The global index expands upon an Asia-specifc version, originally created by The Economist Intelligence Unit in 2016 to score 17 economies in Asia on the extent to which they enabled or prevented illicit trade. The Asian index generated much-needed attention on the issue of illicit trade within the region. Building upon the success of the Asia index, the global index now includes 84 economies, providing a global perspective and new insights on the social and economic impacts of illicit trade. This briefng paper focuses on the 21 economies in the Asia-Pacific covered by the index. For an explanation of how the global illicit index differs from the 2016 index, please consult the methodology in the appendix.

Details: New York: Transnational Alliance to Combat illicit Trade (TRACIT), 2018. 29p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed June 21, 2019 at: https://www.tracit.org/uploads/1/0/2/2/102238034/eiu_asia_illicit_trade_paper_final.pdf

Year: 2018

Country: Asia

URL: https://www.tracit.org/uploads/1/0/2/2/102238034/eiu_asia_illicit_trade_paper_final.pdf

Shelf Number: 156583

Keywords:
Drug Trafficking
Endangered Species
Human Trafficking
Illegal Trade
Illicit Trade
Wildlife Crime
Wildlife Trafficking

Author: Wellesley, Laura

Title: Trade in Illegal Timber: The Response in China

Summary: his paper is part of a broader Chatham House study which assesses illegal logging and the associated trade. The Chinese government has made notable progress in its efforts to tackle illegal logging and the associated trade. This has included the development of a draft national timber legality verification system (TLVS) and its active engagement with a number of consumer countries. The government's plans to establish bilateral trade agreements with producer countries are also encouraging, although no formalized commitments have yet been made. Reflecting the growing awareness of the impact of Chinese companies overseas, the government has also been developing further guidance to promote sustainable forest products trade and investment. The private sector is also taking action, with continued growth in the uptake of chain-of-custody (CoC) certification. Industry associations have been promoting legal and sustainable sourcing, and they will have an important role to play in testing the draft TLVS. These steps are likely to have had an impact on the volume of illegal wood-based products being imported into China. However, trade data discrepancies and analysis of trade flows both indicate that illegal trade remains a significant problem. While imports of high-risk products are estimated to have declined since 2000, these are reckoned to comprise 17 per cent of the total by volume in 2013. This proportion is high compared with other timber-importing countries examined in this assessment. In order to build on its response to illegal logging and related trade, the Chinese government should establish binding regulations and stringent controls on the import and export of illegal wood-based products. The draft TLVS should be further developed, including through pilot projects with timber-exporting countries and effective consultation with industry, civil society and other consumer-country governments. The government's procurement policy should be strengthened through the clarification of its legality and sustainability requirements, the inclusion of a wider range of products within its scope, and the development of a robust mechanism to monitor compliance. Increased training for the private sector on due diligence, market regulations and legality requirements in consumer countries is required to stimulate further action by industry, and the work to elaborate further guidelines for companies operating overseas in the forest products trade should be continued. Awareness-raising initiatives for Chinese consumers should also be extended, in order to increase demand for verified legal wood-based products.

Details: London: Chatham House, The Royal Institute of International Affairs, 2014. 31p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed July 16, 2019 at: https://www.chathamhouse.org/sites/default/files/publications/research/20141210IllegalTimberChinaWellesley.pdf

Year: 2014

Country: China

URL: https://www.chathamhouse.org/sites/default/files/publications/research/20141210IllegalTimberChinaWellesley.pdf

Shelf Number: 156859

Keywords:
Deforestation
Environmental Crime
Forests
Illegal Logging
Illegal Trade
Offenses Against the Environment

Author: Magliocca, Nicholas R.

Title: Modeling Cocaine Traffickers and Counterdrug Interdiction Forces as a Complex Adaptive System

Summary: Abstract: Counterdrug interdiction efforts designed to seize or disrupt cocaine shipments between South American source zones and US markets remain a core US "supply side" drug policy and national security strategy. However, despite a long history of US-led interdiction efforts in the Western Hemisphere, cocaine movements to the United States through Central America, or "narco-trafficking," continue to rise. Here, we developed a spatially explicit agent-based model (ABM), called "NarcoLogic," of narco-trafficker operational decision making in response to interdiction forces to investigate the root causes of interdiction ineffectiveness across space and time. The central premise tested was that spatial proliferation and resiliency of narco-trafficking are not a consequence of ineffective interdiction, but rather part and natural consequence of interdiction itself. Model development relied on multiple theoretical perspectives, empirical studies, media reports, and the authors' own years of field research in the region. Parameterization and validation used the best available, authoritative data source for illicit cocaine flows. Despite inherently biased, unreliable, and/or incomplete data of a clandestine phenomenon, the model compellingly reproduced the "cat-and-mouse" dynamic between narco-traffickers and interdiction forces others have qualitatively described. The model produced qualitatively accurate and quantitatively realistic spatial and temporal patterns of cocaine trafficking in response to interdiction events. The NarcoLogic model offers a much-needed, evidence-based tool for the robust assessment of different drug policy scenarios, and their likely impact on trafficker behavior and the many collateral damages associated with the militarized war on drugs.

Details: S.L.: Proceedings of the National Academies of Sciences of the United States of America, 2018. 9p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed July 27, 2019 at: https://www.pnas.org/content/pnas/116/16/7784.full.pdf

Year: 2018

Country: International

URL: https://www.pnas.org/content/116/16/7784

Shelf Number: 157047

Keywords:
Cocaine
Drug Trade
Drug Traffickers
Drug Trafficking
Illegal Trade
Illicit Trade
Narcotics
War on Drugs

Rutgers - School of Law, Newark

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