INTERPOL SEIZES RECORD 30,000
LIVE ANIMALS IN GLOBAL SWEEP

A massive, coordinated dragnet across 134 countries has dealt a historic blow to the global wildlife black market.

Dubbed Operation Thunder 2025, this massive international offensive coordinated by Interpol and the World Customs Organization resulted in a staggering 4,620 raids. The result? Law enforcement rescued nearly 30,000 living animals—the highest number ever saved in the operation's history—and identified over 1,100 suspects worldwide.

While a massive portion of the illegal trade is driven by the demand for exotic pets, this operation exposed the terrifying scale of the entire illicit supply chain.

Alongside live birds, tortoises, and big cats, authorities intercepted: 

·         5.8 tons of wild bushmeat (including giraffe, zebra, and antelope) 

·         245 tons of protected marine wildlife (including thousands of shark fins) 

·         Over 10,000 tons of live plants and thousands of cubic meters of illegally logged timber 

·         Nearly 10,500 protected insects and spiders 

At Singapore's transit hub alone, authorities foiled an attempt to smuggle 20 raw rhino horns (worth $1.13 million) and 150 kg of animal bones, teeth, and claws arriving from South Africa.

The illegal wildlife trade is a highly sophisticated, $20 billion annual industry. These syndicates are highly organized, dangerous, and deeply intertwined with international crime networks.