Illicit Rhino Horn Trade

The Global Initiative against Transnational Organized Crime, the WWF and the Geneva Environment Platform organised the Geneva launch of “Beyond borders: Crime, conservation and criminal networks in the illicit rhino horn trade”, the second of two reports investigating the illegal trade in rhino horn and law enforcement responses, on 13 July 2016 in the International Environment House.

Six thousand rhinos have fallen to poachers’ bullets in Africa over the past decade and only about 25,000 remain – a fraction of the tens of thousands that roamed the parts of the continent fifty years ago. Driven by the seemingly insatiable demand in Southeast Asia and China, rhino horn has become a black market commodity rivalling gold and platinum in value.

This report, the second of two, is a major investigation into Southern African rhino horn trafficking networks. It focuses on rhino poaching, smuggling and organised crime in Zimbabwe and Mozambique, two source countries for rhino products where legal and law enforcement frameworks to curb rhino poaching are in place, yet poorly implemented. It also investigates the involvement of the diplomatic world in the rhino horn trade including recent revelations of North Korean embassy involvement.

The launch included an introduction to the Global Initiative by its Deputy Director, Tuesday Reitano, an overview from Dr. Colman O. Criodain, WWF Wildlife Trade Analyst, followed by a presentation by the author of the report, Julian Rademeyer. Rademeyer is a Global Initiative Senior Research Fellow and author of the bestselling book, Killing for Profit: Exposing the Illegal Rhino Horn Trade. The presentation was followed by an open discussion and questions from the floor.