C4ADS
Environmental Crimes Fusion Cell
The Global Trade in Illicit Elephant Ivory:
Use Values and Financial Flows
Consumer Retail
Ivory Retail Prices across
African and Asian Markets
Speculation
Bush Currency
N'Dele (US$34)
Kisangani (US$225)
Consumer Retail
Beijing (US$2100/kg)
Wildlife crime converges with
other conflict and illicit activities
Sudan-linked militias involved in
ambush of rangers
South Sudanese police crossing
border to poach
Allegations of illicit logging
operations aiding bush meat
poachers in TRIDOM
Congolese army commander supplies
illicit weapons to rebel groups in DRC
in exchange for ivory and gold
Illicit copper smuggling
network in Tanzania also
transported ivory in 2013
Illicit diamonds and ivory
seized from smuggling
operation in Botswana
Narrow Supply Chain
100-250 Containers
= Select major origin ports
15-25 Chokepoint Ports
= Select major transit ports
10-15 Shipping Companies
= Select major destination ports
Wildlife traffickers use complex means of physical obfuscation to transfer
contraband across geographical boundaries and through licit supply chains
900 kg, Vietnam
Obfuscated in Charcoal
1.8 tons, Tanzania
Obfuscated in anchovies
500 kg, Uganda
Obfuscated as Shea Butter
6 tons, Malaysia
Obfuscated in timber
1 ton, Vietnam
Obfuscated as peanuts
Seizure Network Analysis: A Global Scale
Over 14 tons of ivory products seized from a single logistics and transport infrastructure
2011:
An entity which coordinated container transport in 2015 seizures,
Tanzania
also transported several containers
seized in 2013
Illicit Copper
2013:
Hong Kong
1,323 kg
Network map of information provided on Thailand
Customs Press release
2015:
Thailand
3,172 kg
Up to 35,000 elephants
killed
---
2015:
Using company registers, maritime shipping databases,
Singapore
local media reporting, and government documentation we
3,700
kg
Weeks later a second seizure occurred with
expanded
the network2013:
2013:
several entities in common
Singapore
Mombasa
1,833 kg
3,828 kg
Consignor exported 6 containers within the
past year, 3 of which are known to contain
ivory
Nearly $20 million
Consignee Network Analysis
Vietnamese network imports 7 tons ivory, 4 tons pangolin scales and 142 kg rhino horn
2015: Da Nang, Vietnam
593 kg ivory / 142 kg rhino horn
2015: Thailand
3,172 kg ivory
2015: Da Nang, Vietnam
2,300 kg ivory
2015:
Dathe
Nang,
Vietnam public records, we
Using
Vietnamese
1,001
kg ivory,
4,023 kgownership and
identified
beneficial
pangolin
relatedproducts
companies of the consignee
Months later, authorities in Da Nang, Vietnam
made another ivory seizure, destined to the
same consignee
Just days
twoscale
moreivory shipment was seized
In April,
2015later,
a large
seizures
were made.consignee
en-route
to a Vietnamese
Third seizure was destined for the
same consignee
Fourth seizure was destined for a
related company
Wildlife traffickers maintain multiple bank accounts and conduct financial
transfers across geographical boundaries
Vixay Keosavang, a leading wildlife smuggling kingpin
in Southeast Asia, allegedly has a transnational
network of suppliers and buyers spanning Africa and
Asia
Banking correspondents in the US
Sales contract outlining wildlife sales, using banking
networks in Vietnam and Laos, Denominated in USD
Transaction denominated in USD