Organised crime and wildlife trafficking

Traditionally, organised crime is linked to international smuggling activities, such as drugs, arms, and human trafficking, but the illegal trade in wildlife has increasingly become connected to the criminal portfolios of modern organised crime. Influenced by changing socioeconomic, political, and ecological contexts, wildlife trafficking has become a significant new form of organised criminal activity, with disastrous impacts on the environment. Criminal networks have become involved in a wide range of high-value illegal wildlife markets, including rhino horn, tiger bone, ivory, and caviar, among others. This chapter will discuss the involvement of organised crime in the lucrative market of the illegal wildlife trade, partly based on interviews with people directly or indirectly involved in the illegal wildlife trade and fieldwork in key hotspots of wildlife trafficking.