Wildlife crime in top five most lucrative types of organised crime, ISS says
The Institute for Security Studies (ISS) has ranked wildlife crime fourth on the list of the most lucrative forms of organised crime globally and one of the most expensive security challenges facing Southern Africa. According to the ISS‚ the vast majority of available data on wildlife crime focused on poaching and smuggling‚ resulting in an emphasis on securing national parks and patrolling border points. The organisation said more information was needed on curbing demand and understanding how organised crime networks operated. The need for such data prompted the ISS to embark on a pilot research project Enact (Enhancing Africa’s Response to Transnational Organised Crime) in partnership with the Global Initiative against Organised Crime and Interpol. ISS researcher Ciara Aucoin said data was gleaned from media reports on wildlife crime. She said the pilot study also covered how poachers were recruited and armed‚ how the smuggling networks operated‚ the extent of overlap between grou...
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