Border Force has seized hundreds of products containing
endangered plant and animal species as part of an international
operation targeting wildlife criminals.
During the month-long Operation Thunder, Border Force officers at
ports and airports made 178 seizures containing thousands of
products regulated under the Convention on International Trade in
Endangered Species (CITES).
These included elephant tusks and other ivory goods, live corals
and reptile skin products. Border Force also made a number of
non-CITES
seizures including heroin, cocaine, cannabis and cigarettes.
The international operation was co-led by the World Customs
Organisation (WCO) and INTERPOL and
involved police, customs, environment, wildlife and forestry
agencies from 111 countries. The aim was to focus enforcement
activities on criminal groups, leading to the disruption of
organised wildlife trafficking.
, Minister for
Immigration Compliance and the Courts, said:
The trade in endangered species is driven by organised crime
groups and the movement of banned animal products is key to how
they operate.
This is why Border Force’s specialist officers will continue
their vital work at the border to prevent the importation and
exportation of endangered animals and plants, as well as
working alongside enforcement partners such as the National
Wildlife Crime Unit, and police from across the UK to eradicate
this ruthless and exploitative trade.
Worldwide, Operation Thunder ran from 14 September to 11 October,
leading to the seizure of, among other items, 1.3 tonnes of
ivory, more than one tonne of Pangolin scales, 1,400 live turtles
and 1,800 reptiles.
Border Force officers at ports and airports across the UK have
intensified their enforcement activity to coincide with the
international operation. UK seizures included:
- elephant tusks and ivory goods
- cacti Astrophytum asterias (which is in the highest
CITES
protection category)
- queen Conch Pearl
- Brazilian Rosewood furniture (Dalbergia nigra)
- mounted Butterflies
- agarwood products (Oud)
- live Corals
- reptile skin products
- health/ beauty supplements containing Cactus, Orchid and
Crocodile blood.
Non-CITES
UK seizures included:
- two kilos of heroin from Tanzania to The Netherlands
- 174,400 sildenafil tablets from India to the UK
- over 100,000 cigarettes
- 2.5 kilos of heroin from Kenya to The Netherlands
- 28 kilos of cannabis from South Africa to the UK
- 500 gms cocaine from Nigeria to India
- 500 gms cocaine from Ghana to Australia
- 8 kilos of dried Khat from Kenya to Sweden
- other class B and C drugs
Border Force is responsible for frontline detection and seizure
of items covered by the CITES
convention, which tackles the illegal trade in endangered animals
and plants. The Heathrow-based Border Force CITESteam
are specialist officers who are recognised as world leaders in
their field.
Anyone with information about smuggling or trafficking should
contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 anonymously or visit
http://www.crimestoppers-uk.org
