INTERPOL recently executed the largest-ever animal trafficking raid. Around 30,000 live animals were seized in 4,640 raids across 134 countries — a 30 percent increase from last year. Called Operation Thunder, the annual raids involve law enforcement agencies from around the world, including police, customs, border security, and forestry and wildlife authorities. The efforts are coordinated by INTERPOL and the World Customs Organization (WCO), with the support of the International Consortium on Combating Wildlife Crime (ICCWC).
Operation Thunder Goals and Successes
The one-month global operation aims to put a stop to the illegal trafficking of plants, animals, and timber. Moreover, it specifically seeks to intercept and seize illegally traded wildlife and forestry commodities, and to dismantle the criminal networks involved in these environmental crimes.
From September 15th to October 15th, Operation Thunder 2025 hit a record number of seizures, including:
- tens of thousands of protected animals and plants
- thousands of cubic meters of illegally logged timber
- 30 tons of endangered species
Interpol also identified 1,100 suspects and issued 69 notices of criminal activity to police.
Interpol Secretary General Valdecy Urquiza said, “Operation Thunder once again exposes the sophistication and scale of the criminal networks driving the illegal wildlife and forestry trade — networks that increasingly intersect with all crime areas, from drug trafficking to human exploitation. These syndicates target vulnerable species, undermine the rule of law, and endanger communities worldwide. Recognizing these deeply interconnected crime threats, Interpol is committed to strengthening global policing responses. Furthermore, it aims to dismantle the entire ecosystem of illicit activity, and protecting our planet’s shared natural and human heritage.”
2025 Rescues and Seizures
The live animals seized during Operation Thunder 2025 consist of:
- 6,160 birds
- 2,040 turtles/tortoises
- 1,150 reptiles
- 208 primates
- 46 pangolins
- 10 big cats and felines
- 19,415 other types of wildlife (including less commonly trafficked mammals, amphibians, fish, insects, butterflies, spiders, and other arthropods)
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Operation Thunder also revealed an escalation in the illicit trade of bushmeat or wild animal meat, especially from tropical regions, Europe, and Africa. During the raids, authorities intercepted:
- Primate meat in Belgium
- Over 400 kilograms of giraffe meat in Kenya
- $10,000 US dollars worth of zebra and antelope meat and skins in Tanzania
Globally, this equates to a total of 5.8 tons of bushmeat seized.
Why are These Animals Trafficked?
Most seizures involved animal parts, like elephant ivory, shark fins, tortoise shells, rhino horns, pangolin scales, and more. The raids uncovered an increase in marine species trafficking, including 4,000 pieces of shark fins alone.
Demand is largely driven by the exotic pet market. That said, the majority of wildlife trafficking involves animal parts, remains, and derivatives that are commonly used in traditional medicine or specialty foods.
Things like pangolin scales, tortoise shells, rhino horns, and others are the most frequently used animal remains. These are used in Traditional Chinese Medicine and other folk traditions to treat pain, rheumatism, kidney issues, and sexual dysfunction.
Many of the animals used in traditional medicine are endangered or vulnerable species. These include pangolins, rhinoceros, Reeves turtles, Tokay geckos, pipefish, seahorses, and many more. Additionally, animals that are now extinct in the wild and are only found in captivity, like the Saiga antelope, are still used for these purposes.
The raids are revealing greater flexibility among poachers in what they are willing to sell, as the numbers of exotic anthropods and tree timber have increased. Operation Thunder confiscated 14,000 tons of illegally logged timber across participating countries, estimated to be one-third of the entire timber black market.
Further Threats Identified by Operation Thunder
Growing threats also include the trade in smaller animal species and plants. Moreover, the illegal plant trade reached a record high in 2025, driven primarily by rising demand in horticultural and collector markets.
Among the 100,000 objects seized in Operation Thunder 2025, the bright side is that only 7 rhino horns were found. This suggests that recent rhino poaching control efforts are working.
In fact, the annual raids continue to see fewer large animals and their body parts than in previous years.
A lot of work and months of preparation went into making Operation Thunder successful. Efforts centered on exchanging information, sharing actionable intelligence, and coordinating cross-border investigations across the 134 countries, the World Customs Organization, and Interpol – no easy feat!
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Future Plans and Goals
The insights gathered during Operation Thunder 2025 will also go on to aid further investigations. In addition, this intelligence will help law enforcement agencies worldwide when it comes to refining their strategies. This includes anticipating new criminal tactics, and disrupting supply chain activity in the coming years.
The 9th edition of Operation Thunder proved massively successful in immediate arrests and seizures. Furthermore, it will also help ensure an effective and sustainable legal response to transnational wildlife crime over time.
Although Interpol didn’t provide estimates of the total valuation of the seizures, WCO estimates indicate that the annual value of wildlife crime was 20 billion US dollars. The trafficked goods from Tanzania alone exceeded half a million US dollars. This suggests that various criminal networks could have lost 7 or 8 figures in revenue.
And you can bet the work to stop wildlife crime won’t stop there.
WCO Secretary General Ian Saunders said, “Customs is the frontline defence against the surge in cross-border wildlife crime. Operation Thunder demonstrates Customs’ role in protecting society by intercepting illicit shipments, disrupting criminal networks, and protecting vulnerable species every day. This global threat demands collective action, and the WCO is committed to delivering technical assistance, driving deeper intelligence exchange, and strengthening partnerships across the law-enforcement community to dismantle criminal enterprises and secure a sustainable future for the world’s biodiversity.”
Featured image © Dddube, via Dreamstime.com