Hundreds of arrests have been made in a global operation by Interpol and customs authorities against traffickers in wildlife.
Criminal networks have been severely disrupted by the month-long Operation Thunder 2021 spread across 118 countries, with thousands of vehicles searched by sniffer dogs and X-ray machines at border crossings.
Interpol and the World Customs Organisation seized more than 1,000 illegally traded specimens listed by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (Cites).
The haul included live big cats, primates, reptiles and birds, as well as derivative products such as clothing, beauty products, food items, traditional medicines and handicrafts.
Timber illegally farmed from protected areas was also recovered by authorities.
“Organised crime networks are generating billions in illicit profits every year, at significant cost to our environment, as well as the associated impacts of fraud, corruption and violence,” Interpol secretary general Juergen Stock said.
“We are seeing the continued globalisation of crime, which means only an international response can be effective, as demonstrated with this latest Operation Thunder.
"Every one of our 195 member countries has a role to play in combating this threat, either directly or in the follow-up investigations.”
Interpol seized large quantities of Cites-listed birds, such as Houbara bustards squeezed beneath the fake base of a transport box intercepted in Qatar.
An Arabian wolf was also intercepted by Qatari authorities, while other big cats destined for the illegal wildlife trade were seized at border controls throughout the operation.
The Middle East has been a hotbed of trafficking as a final destination for illegally traded wildlife in recent years.
Falcons, Houbara bustards and cheetahs have been targets for smugglers into the region but networks are gradually being closed off by authorities.
Specialist training programmes have taken place in Somaliland, a known trafficking route from East Africa into the Gulf, to disrupt illegal wildlife supply chains.
During Operation Thunder, known criminals and Interpol red-notice fugitives were sought before the global drive, along with companies used to enable wildlife and timber crime.
Operation Thunder has so far recovered 478 kilograms of ivory pieces and 487kg ivory-derived products, 75 big cat parts, 29 live big cats, 856kg of pangolin scales, 531 turtles and tortoises, 171 birds and 336 reptiles.
Hong Kong officials seized 3.2 tonnes of red sandalwood in freight from the UAE, while Mexican authorities arrested three Chinese citizens smuggling Totoaba bladders, sea cucumber and coral, along with methamphetamine and cash.
“The volume of seizures made during Operation Thunder 2021 proves how serious the transnational organised crime threat is for wild species and ecosystems across range, transit and destination countries,” said Ivonne Higuero, secretary general of Cites.
“The success of Operation Thunder 2021 strongly contributes to the strategic vision of Cites parties and reinforces that we must work together, combining different skills, mandates and resources to reduce threats to wildlife and live in harmony with nature.”
Police and customs officials shared wildlife and timber-trafficking intelligence, allowing field officers to identify specific trafficking hotspots on land, sea and airport border points, as well as wildlife parks.
“With criminals trafficking endangered species along the same routes they use to smuggle other illicit goods, customs is strategically placed at borders to intercept illegally traded Cites-listed products,” World Customs Organisation secretary general Kunio Mikuriya said.
“Large-scale, cross-border operations such as Operation Thunder 2021 illustrate the benefits and impact global law enforcement co-operation has in deterring wildlife crime, putting its perpetrators behind bars and raising awareness of its devastating effects.”
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
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%3Cp%3E%22Whatever%20the%20initial%20intent%2C%20what%20took%20place%20at%20many%20of%20these%20gatherings%20and%20the%3Cbr%3Eway%20in%20which%20they%20developed%20was%20not%20in%20line%20with%20Covid%20guidance%20at%20the%20time.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%22Many%20of%20these%20events%20should%20not%20have%20been%20allowed%20to%20happen.%20It%20is%20also%20the%20case%20that%20some%20of%20the%3Cbr%3Emore%20junior%20civil%20servants%20believed%20that%20their%20involvement%20in%20some%20of%20these%20events%20was%20permitted%20given%20the%20attendance%20of%20senior%20leaders.%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%22The%20senior%20leadership%20at%20the%20centre%2C%20both%20political%20and%20official%2C%20must%20bear%20responsibility%20for%20this%20culture.%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%22I%20found%20that%20some%20staff%20had%20witnessed%20or%20been%20subjected%20to%20behaviours%20at%20work%20which%20they%20had%20felt%20concerned%20about%20but%20at%20times%20felt%20unable%20to%20raise%20properly.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%22I%20was%20made%20aware%20of%20multiple%20examples%20of%20a%20lack%20of%20respect%20and%20poor%20treatment%20of%20security%20and%20cleaning%20staff.%20This%20was%20unacceptable.%22%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
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About Krews
Founder: Ahmed Al Qubaisi
Based: Abu Dhabi
Founded: January 2019
Number of employees: 10
Sector: Technology/Social media
Funding to date: Estimated $300,000 from Hub71 in-kind support
The Brutalist
Director: Brady Corbet
Stars: Adrien Brody, Felicity Jones, Guy Pearce, Joe Alwyn
Rating: 3.5/5
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
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UAE squad to face Ireland
Ahmed Raza (captain), Chirag Suri (vice-captain), Rohan Mustafa, Mohammed Usman, Mohammed Boota, Zahoor Khan, Junaid Siddique, Waheed Ahmad, Zawar Farid, CP Rizwaan, Aryan Lakra, Karthik Meiyappan, Alishan Sharafu, Basil Hameed, Kashif Daud, Adithya Shetty, Vriitya Aravind
Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
Scoreline:
Cardiff City 0
Liverpool 2
Wijnaldum 57', Milner 81' (pen)
German intelligence warnings
- 2002: "Hezbollah supporters feared becoming a target of security services because of the effects of [9/11] ... discussions on Hezbollah policy moved from mosques into smaller circles in private homes." Supporters in Germany: 800
- 2013: "Financial and logistical support from Germany for Hezbollah in Lebanon supports the armed struggle against Israel ... Hezbollah supporters in Germany hold back from actions that would gain publicity." Supporters in Germany: 950
- 2023: "It must be reckoned with that Hezbollah will continue to plan terrorist actions outside the Middle East against Israel or Israeli interests." Supporters in Germany: 1,250
Source: Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution
England's all-time record goalscorers:
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Bobby Charlton 49
Gary Lineker 48
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Michael Owen 40
Tom Finney 30
Nat Lofthouse 30
Alan Shearer 30
Viv Woodward 29
Frank Lampard 29
