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If we are going to beat the illegal wildlife trade and prevent endangered species from being wiped out by the greed of criminals, it is essential that ordinary people know what is happening and play their part in the fight against wildlife crime. In this section we will keep you up to date with some of the latest news and information about the work of Operation Charm and the international trade in endangered wildlife.
© Star Publications (M) Berhad
Large ivory seizure in Malaysia - the third in past three months
25 SEPT 2011 - TRAFFIC
The Royal Malaysian Customs has seized two containers filled with 695 elephant tusks in the country's largest port, bringing to three the number of large-scale seizures of ivory in the past three months.
© Martin Harvey / WWF-Canon
Tough sentences for Vietnamese rhino horn smugglers in South Africa
04 Aug 2011 / TRAFFIC
Two men convicted of illegal possession of rhino horns have been given long custodial sentences by a court in South Africa.
Tiger © IFAW / Uri Golman
WWF calls for an end to poaching on Global Tiger Day
29 July 2011 / WWF
The recently publicized death of a tiger caught in a hunter's snare on the Indonesian island of Sumatra highlights the persistent danger the big cats face as the world celebrates Global Tiger Day today.
Tortoise shells © Martin HARVEY / WWF-Canon
Malagasy authorities arrest smugglers, seize 196 endangered tortoises
29 July 2011 / WWF
Two men are on trial in Antananarivo for trying to smuggle nearly 200 of some of the world's rarest tortoises out of the country.
Pressure on tigers is increasing. © IFAW
India's tigers gain numbers but not ground
27 July 2011 / WWF
Results of the world's largest tiger population study released today, show that the numbers of the highly endangered big cat in India have increased, but that habitat continues to decline.
A pair of confiscated tusks. © IFAW
US art dealer indicted for smuggling 'staggering' amount of ivory
26 July 2011 / Greenwire
In what's called one of the largest ivory seizures in U.S. history, the Fish and Wildlife Service and federal prosecutors today announced the arrest and indictment of a Pennsylvania businessman for trafficking in African elephant ivory.
Members of the newly formed South Asian Wildlife Enforcement Network begin five days of training. © TRAFFIC
South Asia examines new techniques to tackle wildlife crime
11 July 2011 / TRAFFIC
Representatives from seven South Asia countries today begin five-days of training on "Strengthening Wildlife Law Enforcement for Wildlife Protection in South Asia"
The rhino poaching surge in South Africa shows no sign of abating, with almost 200 animals killed already this year. © Martin Harvey / WWF-Canon
Rhino poaching surge continues in 2011
04 July 2011 / TRAFFIC
Nearly 200 rhinos have been killed in South Africa during the first half of the year, according to statistics from the national parks department.
Elephants are killed to make ivory items like these. © IFAW
Twiggy and Julie Walters call on the public to surrender their ivory
23 March 2011 / IFAW
Celebrity animal lovers Twiggy and Julie Walters are backing the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) Ivory Surrender which launches tomorrow (Wed), encouraging the public to donate unwanted ivory to highlight the illegal ivory trade and protect elephants.
Rhino horns taken by the Kenya Wildlife Service from poachers. © IFAW/N. Grosse-Woodley
Trade in Mounted Rhino Horns now Illegal in the UK
18 February 2011 / Animal Health
It is now illegal to sell mounted, but otherwise unaltered, rhino horns in the UK, following new European Commission guidance.
8 tortoises were found in a box.. © UK Home Office
Rare Tortoises Saved by UK Border Agency
09 February 2011 / UK Border Agency
Eight live tortoises were found at Coventry International Postal Hub yesterday after the UK Border Agency foiled a plot to smuggle the rare creatures to Manchester.
A poisoned tiger in India.
More than 1,000 Tigers reduced to skin and bones in last decade
10 November 2010
Parts of at least 1,069 Tigers have been seized in Tiger range countries over the past decade, according to new analysis of Tiger seizures carried out by TRAFFIC, the wildlife trade monitoring network.
Chief Constable Richard Crompton presenting the award to Charlie (left).
Scottish wildlife crimebuster wins award
05 October 2010
WWF recognises the work of a wildlife champion, with the announcement of the winner of its Wildlife Law Enforcer of the Year Award. This year's award winning officer, Police Constable Charles Everitt investigated 27 wildlife cases last year.
Seized ivory from poached elephants.
American businessman caught illegally selling ivory to undercover Metropolitan Police Officer
29 October 2010
An American businessman caught illegally selling ivory to an undercover officer from the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) could be jailed after admitting offences in a United States court.
Sedated tiger in the suitcase. © IFAW
21 Sept 2010
A few weeks ago, staff at Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi International Airport spotted something unusual hidden in a suitcase filled with stuffed tigers. It wasn't drugs or weapons, but a real-live tiger cub, sedated for a long flight to Iran.
Example of a rhino horn and traditional Chinese medicine containing rhino horn. © IFAW
20 Sept 2010
We're delighted that the government is clamping down on rhino horn exports from the UK. The first sign of a problem was a big increase in antique rhino horn items - from mounted rhino horns to Chinese libation cups - turning up at UK auction houses and selling for inflated prices.
Dried snakeskin on a scale in a Tibetan factory that manufactures traditional Chinese. © IFAW / P. Bronstein
05 March 2010 / INTERPOL
LYON, France - An international operation co-ordinated by INTERPOL targeting the illegal trade in traditional medicines containing protected wildlife products has resulted in a series of arrests worldwide and the seizure of thousands of illegal medicines worth more than EUR 500,000.
 TRAFFIC's elephant
29 May 2010
Keep your eyes open if you're in London any time in May or June, and chances are you'll see some brightly painted life-size baby elephant sculptures around the city. There are 250 of them in all. Two members of Operation Charm - International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) and WWF - are official conservation partners for the event.
This tiger was used by the late Alexander McQueen in a photoshoot. © IFAW
27 May 2010
Officers from the Metropolitan Police's Wildlife Crime Unit (WCU) have seized a stuffed adult tiger from a central London studio which is believed to have been touted for an illegal sale.
Elephants narrowly escaped further risk. © IFAW
15 April 2010
A United Nations meeting on endangered species trade involved two weeks of negotiations marked by the repeated rejection of proposals to better protect marine species, such as the Atlantic bluefin tuna, corals and several shark species.
Bengal Tiger © IFAW / Uri Golman.
14 Feb 2010
On the 14th February, people all over the world joined together to celebrate the beginning of the Chinese year of the tiger. It was also the day on which many of our partners and other groups launched a concerted global effort to ensure that this iconic species is saved from extinction before it is too late.
 Guy Clarke and WWF's Heather Sohl © RSPB
10 Oct 2009
This year's winner of the Wildlife Law Enforcer of the Year award is Guy Clarke of the UK Border Agency for his exceptional work against illegal wildlife trade.
Traditional Chinese Medicine products
20 August 2009
At 11.30am today officers from the Metropolitan Police Wildlife Crime and Chinatown Units searched a shop in Lisle Street, Westminster, and seized approximately 200 products believed to be made from endangered animals and plants including musk deer, leopard, tiger and Aucklandia, a species of plant from the aster family.
Christine Dawson, US Dept. of State; Huw Irranca-Davies MP, Defra Minister; Commander Simon Pountain and Trevor Salmon, Defra.
August 2009
The UK formally accepted the chair of Coalition Against Wildlife Trafficking (CAWT) from the US at an event hosted by the Metropolitan Police Wildlife Crime Unit on 20th July 2009.
The smugglers are escorted from the plane by the police.
August 2009
Two tortoise smugglers have been arrested in an operation to tackle the illegal importation of this endangered species from Corfu into London.
Officers with the BBC film crew
July 2009
On Monday 22nd June officers from the Metropolitan Police Wildlife Crime Unit and Lewisham Police searched a Chinese medicine shop in Burnt Ash Road, South East London, and seized approximately 60 products believed to be made from endangered animals including Musk Deer, Leopard and Seahorse.
Former London Mayor Ken Livingstone with some of the Wildlife Crime Unit's seizures
January 2009
In January, former Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone, visited the Wildlife Crime Unit's offices in Vauxhall in order to film a promotional trailer for a wildlife documentary.
Fiona Fletcher-Smith and Richard Barnes with endangered species products seized by the Metropolitan Police Wildlife Crime Unit
June 2009
On Friday 5th June, Deputy Mayor for London, Richard Barnes and Director of Development and Environment, Fiona Fletcher-Smith spent the day working with the Metropolitan Police Wildlife Crime Unit.
Man holding arowana fish.
11 August 2008 / Metropolitan Police
On Tuesday 5 August Mr Heng Low, a 54 year old businessman of Dunspring Lane, Ilford, Essex entered a plea of guilty at Snaresbrook Crown Court to two charges of selling Asian Arowana fish.
Sample from the ivory seizure.
13 June 2008 / World Wide Fund for Nature
Leading UK wildlife and conservation groups have praised the police for the prosecution of a man convicted of trading in large amounts of illegal ivory - but warn that the case highlights British demand for ivory items.
Simon King with Sgt. Rowan Healey, Waltham Forest's Wildlife Crime Officer.
26 April 2008 / Metropolitan Police
Wildlife photographer and filmmaker, Simon King, was one of the speakers at the recent Lee Valley Spring Wildlife Weekend.
Jessie feeding an elephant
8 April 2008 / Metropolitan Police
Jessie Coote from the Met's Wildlife Crime Unit recently spent a fortnight as a volunteer at Sri Lanka's famous Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage.
Operation Charm website
29 January 2008 / Metropolitan Police
Officers from the Met recently visited a well-known Central London auction house following information from a member of the public who contacted the Wildlife Crime Unit via the Operation Charm website.
Officer in the Wildlife Crime Unit
11 January 2008 / WWF
The Metropolitan Police has responded to public pressure and reversed a decision to make cuts to London's Wildlife Crime Unit.
Tropical fish
29 October 2007 / Metropolitan Police
The Met's Wildlife Crime Unit (WCU) successfully seized a shipment of a live Arowana fish in east London. Working closely with Redbridge Borough Police, HMRC and the National Wildlife Crime Unit, officers from the London-based unit, searched an address in Barkingside where eleven live Arowana fish were seized.
Indian tiger (Panthera tigris tigris) two month old cub.
8 August 2007 / CITIES
Tigers were granted a welcome reprieve when governments agreed to maintain the prohibition on captive breeding of tigers for their parts and derivatives.
Humpback whales, Megaptera novaeangliae, mate and give birth in the Bay of Málaga, Colombia.
8 August 2007 / CITES
Parties at the 14th meeting of the Conference of the Parties of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) took measures to suspend ivory trade, protect rhinos, maintain the ban on commercial whaling and tackle the Internet trade in wildlife.
9 July 2007 / Metropolitan Police
A man who traded in the furs of endangered species has pleaded guilty following an investigation by the Met's Wildlife Crime Unit.
7 June 2007 / Operation Charm
India has fewer wild tigers than had previously been thought. In May the Wildlife Institute of India published the first results of a tiger census, which was carried out in 2006.
20 December 2006 / Metropolitan Police
A 53 year old South East London man was fined a total of £5,400 at Greenwich Magistrates Court for offering for sale specimens of endangered species.
17 November 2006 / Metropolitan Police
A major Metropolitan Police initiative against the illegal sale of endangered species in London's Chinese medicine shops is launched today with the support of the Chinese community, the GLA and Britain's leading wildlife charities.
3 November 2006 / Metropolitan Police
The Wildlife Crime Unit and Camden Borough police have seized a number of fur coats believed to have been made from endangered species. A total of eight coats were seized including one believed to have been made from tiger fur.
1 November 2006 / Operation Charm
Operation Charm hit the headlines in November last year with the launch of the campaign at New Scotland Yard. The Evening Standard gave over its entire front cover to the launch (17 November 2006) and featured a photograph two stuffed tiger cubs that had been seized by police from a shop in London.
24 October 2006 / Metropolitan Police
George F Trumper Ltd, a company specialising in the sale of gentleman's grooming accessories was today fined £10,000 at Westminister Magistrates Court for keeping endangered species for sale.
19 September 2006 / Metropolitan Police
On 5 June 2006 the Met Police's Wildlife Crime Unit and Trading standards officers executed a search warrant at an address in Lewisham. The premises, a traditional Chinese medicine shop, led to the seizure of approx 200 medicinal products claiming to be made from endangered species.
5 September 2006 / IFAW
The British travel industry has pledged to support a new global campaign by the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) to save endangered species from a devastating trade in wildlife souvenirs.
5 October 2005 / WWF
New powers allowing police to arrest criminals selling parts from endangered species were used by the Metropolitan police for the first time yesterday, after WWF successfully campaigned for the new law.
26 September 2005 / WWF
The state-sponsored use of tiger parts for medicine - which is reportedly being considered by the Chinese government - would spell disaster for wild tiger populations, WWF and TRAFFIC, the wildlife trade monitoring network, warned today.
8 August 2005 / WWF
The biggest seizure of illegal tiger bone in more than a decade has been made by customs officers in Taiwan, WWF reported today.
16 August 2004 / IFAW
An investigation by the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) released today reveals how vast quantities of wildlife products and live animals are being traded illegally on the Internet - a soaring and lucrative trade that is driving the world's most endangered species to the brink of extinction and causing untold suffering.
15 July 2004 / WWF / TRAFFIC
Musk deer populations in some parts of Russia and Mongolia are rapidly dwindling as a result of poaching for highly valued musk pods, highly valued in traditional Asian medicine despite conservation laws that provide for a regulated and managed legal hunt and trade.
1 May 2002 / IFAW
Officers from the Metropolitan Police's Wildlife Unit today seized traditional medicines containing illegal wild animal parts from a London business.
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