Bloomberg
THIRTY-one governments ranging from China to Zambia had agreed to strengthen laws to clamp down on the illegal wildlife trade, which was worth $10 billion (R118.1bn) a year, it was confirmed on Wednesday.
“We will pursue organised criminal networks involved in the illegal wildlife trade,” the governments said in a statement released at a conference in Kasane, Botswana. Steps will be taken “with regard to the detection of money laundering and other financial crime connections with illegal wildlife trade”.
The countries agreed to amend legislation to treat wildlife trade crimes as predicate offences, meaning that they are considered to be connected to money laundering. That would make the crimes easier to prosecute.
Botswana has the world’s biggest populations of elephants, bordering South Africa, where poaching of rhinos has surged to record levels. Elephant ivory and rhino horns are in demand in Asian countries such as China and Vietnam where the growing middle class is boosting demand for illegal wildlife products.