Cyber response to wildlife crime

Implementing Partner:

Zoological Society of London (ZSL)

Project name:

Intelligence Response for Combatting Tiger and Wildlife Crime (IRCT)

Location:

Thailand’s Western Forest Complex (WEFCOM)

Goal:

This project aims to enhance Thailand’s ability to detect and disrupt tiger trafficking networks

• Objective 1: Integrate tiger related illegal wildlife trade (IWT) into ZSL’s digital surveillance system within one year, increasing tiger online detections by 20% from the existing baseline from
  previous ZSL Thailand online monitoring work.
• Objective 2: Identify two trafficking networks in digital media related to tiger trade, while analysing trade volumes and trends to inform targeted enforcement within 1 year. This will build on existing efforts.
• Objective 3: Conduct one workshop by project end on tiger trafficking and wildlife crime information sharing to foster collaboration between NGOs and law enforcement within 1 year.
• Objective 4: Produce five intelligence packages within one year to aid law enforcement in investigations and track their responses, providing recommendations for effective sentencing.

Background:

Thailand is a key hub for illegal tiger trade, serving as both a source and transit country for trafficked tigers and their parts. Despite strict laws prohibiting the trade, poaching and trafficking persist, driven by demand for traditional medicine, status symbols, and luxury goods. Between 2000 and 2022, Thailand was responsible for the illegal trade of 403 tigers, making it the second-largest country by volume (TRAFFIC, 2022). WEFCOM remains a critical stronghold for wild Indochinese tigers, but every poached or trafficked individual undermines conservation efforts.

The illegal wildlife trade (IWT), worth an estimated $7–23 billion annually, is dominated by organised crime networks that exploit Thailand’s strategic location and transport infrastructure. Increasingly, IWT activities have moved online, making detection and enforcement more challenging. Law enforcement agencies face gaps in intelligence, coordination, and expertise, while corruption, limited resources, and weak strategic planning further hinder efforts to combat trafficking.

Current work – Tiger and Wildlife Crime

ZSL has played a key role in wildlife trade monitoring, particularly through its pangolin trafficking project, which gathered detailed data on over 2,500 cases and supported more than 10 major seizures. ZSL is now the only organisation providing wildlife trade monitoring data to the DNP. Expanding this expertise to tiger trafficking will fill a crucial gap, ensuring better intelligence-sharing, stronger enforcement, and greater protection for Thailand’s tigers.

This project aims to enhance Thailand’s ability to detect and disrupt tiger trafficking networks by:

1. Integrating ZSL’s cyber wildlife trade monitoring with national law enforcement systems.
2. By tracking online suppliers and mapping trafficking networks, the project will provide actionable intelligence to support targeted enforcement operations.
3.  Strengthening collaboration between ZSL Thailand, the Department of National Parks (DNP), and other enforcement agencies will lead to more effective prosecutions and a greater deterrent for wildlife traffickers.