Wildlife traffickers hiding in the financial system, global experts WARN
Wildlife traffickers are exploiting the global financial system to hide their profits in plain sight, using legitimate companies, trade routes and bank accounts to move and launder billions from illegal timber, ivory and live animal trade, global experts have warned.
Rather than operating on the fringes, organised wildlife crime networks are embedding themselves within lawful supply chains and financial channels — making wildlife trafficking not just an environmental crime, but a serious financial one.
Global experts are calling for financial institutions and regulators to treat wildlife trafficking as a serious financial crime and to “follow the money” to reach the people organising and profiting from these networks.
The warning follows a three-part global online event series held in December 2025, organised by TRAFFIC and China Anti-Money Laundering Research Centre of Fudan University. The series brought together 150 participants from global law enforcement agencies, major financial institutions, academia, and conservation organisations worldwide.
Presentations were delivered by leading international organisations, including the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the United for Wildlife (UfW) Financial Taskforce, the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), the Asia/Pacific Group on Money Laundering (APG), and experts from TRAFFIC.
Ling XU, TRAFFIC China Director, said:
Wildlife crime is a financial crime. By following the money and strengthening cooperation across sectors, we can make it much harder for traffickers to hide in the financial system. TRAFFIC’s commitment to supporting partners with data, tools, and cross-sector dialogue will help turn financial intelligence into stronger protection for wildlife globally.”
Four key messages from the series:
1. Wildlife trafficking is embedded in legal trade and finance
Traffickers often move illegal products through the same shipping routes, online platforms and payment systems used by legal businesses. Illegal timber, live animals and wildlife products can be mixed into legitimate supply chains or traded through seemingly lawful companies, allowing profits to remain hidden.
This makes wildlife crime harder to detect and shows why financial and trade data are critical to investigations.
2. Financial intelligence helps disrupt entire networks
Analysing financial flows, company ownership, and trade records helps identify those organising and financing wildlife crime — not just low-level couriers or poachers.
3. Simple data tools can uncover hidden risks
Comparing export-import figures between countries, tracking unusual trading patterns, and analysing discrepancies can quickly flag potential money laundering and trade fraud linked to wildlife crime.
4. Cooperation across sectors is essential
Banks, payment platforms, customs agencies, police, and conservation groups each hold pieces of the puzzle. Sharing information through trusted partnerships enables earlier detection and more effective cross-border collaboration.
The way forward
Overall, the discussions reinforced the need for an intelligence-led, financially focused response to wildlife trafficking that complements traditional enforcement.
Such collaborative dialogues play a critical role in bridging knowledge gaps between sectors,”
concluded Professor Yan Lixin from Fudan University during the closing remarks.
By strengthening financial investigations and cooperation across sectors, countries can make wildlife crime riskier, less profitable, and harder to hide.
About Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL):
Funded by the United States Department of State Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs. The opinions, finds and conclusions stated herein are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the United States Department of State.
The mission of INL is to minimise the impact of international crime, such as money laundering and criminal gangs, and illegal drugs on the United States, its citizens, and partner nations by providing practical foreign assistance and fostering global cooperation. Visit the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL)'s website.
