Operation Thunder- A Global Manhunt for Wildlife Traffickers

A caged monkey holding a human hand.

For the ninth year running, a vast international crackdown known as Operation Thunder has swept across the globe, targeting the shadowy networks that illegally trade in wildlife. Led by INTERPOL and the World Customs Organization, and backed by the International Consortium on Combating Wildlife Crime, the operation united police, customs officers, border forces, and wildlife authorities from 134 countries in a rare show of global cooperation. Months before a single seizure was made, investigators quietly exchanged intelligence, traced smuggling routes, monitored online marketplaces, and prepared coordinated inspections across continents. Then, between September 15 and October 15, the operation moved into action. The results were unprecedented: 4,640 seizures worldwide and nearly 1,100 suspects identified in connection with the illegal trade in wildlife and forest products. What authorities uncovered was staggering. Tens of thousands of protected plants and animals were confiscated, alongside more than 30 tonnes of endangered species listed under CITES and vast quantities of illegally logged timber. The scale of the seizures revealed a troubling trend—live animal smuggling has reached its highest recorded level, driven largely by the growing demand for exotic pets. Among those rescued were more than 6,000 birds, over 2,000 tortoises and turtles, 1,150 reptiles, 208 primates, and even 10 big cats, including tigers. In one striking case, investigators in Qatar arrested a suspect who had attempted to sell an endangered primate online for $14,000—just one transaction in a global trade that continues to push countless species closer to extinction.

White-cheeked gibbons and lorises rescued.

But the investigation revealed that live animals were only one part of a far broader and more disturbing trade. Far greater in scale was the trafficking of animal parts, meat, and derivatives—destined for luxury goods, niche food markets, and traditional medicine. Among the most shocking discoveries was a single shipment containing more than 1,300 primate body parts, including skulls and bones. Operation Thunder also exposed a sharp rise in the bushmeat trade. In Belgium, officials confiscated primate meat, while in Kenya authorities intercepted over 400 kilograms of giraffe meat. In Tanzania, law enforcement recovered antelope and zebra meat and skins valued at around $10,000. The trade extended beyond land animals to the world’s oceans. More than 245 tonnes of protected marine species were confiscated, including some 4,000 shark fins. And despite decades of international bans, the demand for ivory remains stubbornly strong. In France, authorities seized 107 ivory items from markets, while in Austria additional pieces were recovered from a private home—clear evidence that the illegal trade continues to thrive, often hidden in plain sight.

Tortoises found in luggage.

The operation also highlighted a lesser-known but rapidly growing threat: the trafficking of insects and spiders. Around the world, nearly 10,500 butterflies, insects, and arachnids—many protected under international law—were seized. In the United States alone, customs officers intercepted more than 40 insect shipments and 80 consignments of butterflies at a mail facility, traced back to Germany, Slovakia, and the United Kingdom.

Beyond animals, the trade in exotic plants and timber proved equally alarming. Authorities confiscated more than 10 tonnes of live plants and plant derivatives, driven largely by demand from horticultural enthusiasts and private collectors. The scale of illegal logging was stark: some 14,000 pieces of timber, totaling over 32,000 cubic meters, were seized. Investigators estimate that illicit logging may account for as much as 15 to 30 percent of all timber traded globally—underscoring how deeply embedded environmental crime has become in the global marketplace.

Summary of animals confiscated during Operation Thunder this year.

The sheer scale of the seizures made during Operation Thunder has laid bare a sobering reality: the illegal wildlife trade extends far beyond the trafficking of exotic mammals, birds, and reptiles. Insects, spiders, plants, and timber are all being relentlessly exploited to satisfy growing global demand. Among the species at risk is the Malaysian purple-femur tarantula, already threatened by habitat loss and now increasingly targeted for the exotic pet trade. Its decline has prompted the Center for Biological Diversity to urge the U.S government to grant the species protection under the Endangered Species Act—a stark reminder that few forms of life remain untouched by this trade. Operation Thunder has also revealed how profoundly the illegal wildlife market has evolved. No longer the domain of isolated poachers and small-scale black-market traders, it has become a sophisticated, cross-border industry—one that undermines ecosystems, fuels corruption, and poses growing risks to human health. Generating tens of billions of dollars each year, the trade has become deeply attractive to organized crime groups, which rapidly adapt their methods to stay ahead of enforcement.

The message is clear: illegal wildlife trafficking must be treated as a global threat on par with drug trafficking, human trafficking, and terrorism. Intelligence gathered through operations like Thunder is vital to mapping international criminal networks, anticipating future crimes, and dismantling supply chains before they inflict further damage. And just as crucially, those orchestrating this trade must face the strongest possible penalties—reflecting the scale of harm their actions inflict on both the natural world and human society.