Differentiating criminal networks in the illegal wildlife trade: organized, corporate and disorganized crime

Tanya Wyatt,Angus Nurse,Daan van Uhm

doi:10.1007/s12117-020-09385-9

Tanya Wyatt, Angus Nurse + Show 1 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1007/s12117-020-09385-9

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Abstract

Historically, the poaching of wildlife was portrayed as a small-scale local activity in which only small numbers of wildlife would be smuggled illegally by collectors or opportunists. Nowadays, this image has changed: criminal networks are believed to be highly involved in wildlife trafficking, which has become a significant area of illicit activity. Even though wildlife trafficking has become accepted as a major area of crime and an important topic and criminologists have examined a variety of illegal wildlife markets, research that specifically focusses on the involvement of different criminal networks and their specific nature is lacking. The concept of a ‘criminal network’ or ‘serious organized crime’ is amorphous – getting used interchangeably and describes all crime that is structured rather than solely reflecting crime that fits within normative definitions of ‘organized’ crime. In reality, criminal networks are diverse. As such, we propose categories of criminal networks that are evidenced in the literature and within our own fieldwork: (1) organized crime groups (2) corporate crime groups and (3) disorganized criminal networks. Whereas there are instances when these groups act alone, this article will (also) discuss the overlap and interaction that occurs between our proposed categories and discuss the complicated nature of the involved criminal networks as well as predictions as to the future of these networks.

Highlights

The loss of biodiversity is one of the many environmental crises our planet is facing
The perception was that lone individuals poached, usually for subsistence reasons. This image has changed: criminal networks are believed to be highly involved in wildlife trafficking, which has become a significant area of illicit activity (Nellemann et al 2016; Interpol 2019)
Even though wildlife trafficking is recognised as a major area of crime and has become an important topic for some criminologists (e.g. Pires and Moreto 2011; Wyatt 2013; Nurse 2015; Sollund and Maher 2015; van Uhm 2016a; Wong 2019; Zimmerman 2003 amongst numerous others), research that focusses on the involvement of different criminal networks and their specific nature is lacking

Summary

Introduction

The loss of biodiversity is one of the many environmental crises our planet is facing. Depending on the stage in trafficking one category of group may or may not be involved Another example of disorganised crime networks is of a Dutch illegal entrepreneur, who smuggled ten hummingbirds and two sunbirds in his underpants on a flight from Suriname to the Netherlands; he had a structured plan to sell the birds to acquaintances, and was already convicted for the same activity before, but he did not have connections to organized crime (van Uhm 2016c). As the endangered animals are often located in economically deprived regions, there seems to be a strong link between poaching and limited access to alternative livelihood options, a lack of environmental education and poverty among local communities (e.g. Nooren and Claridge 2001; Pantel and Anak 2010).10 Some of those communities supply their wildlife to organized crime groups, while others sell wildlife to corporations illegally. The symbiotic relation between corporate crime and organized or disorganized crime is evident in wildlife trafficking as corporations can shadow illegal activities of organized or disorganized crime groups or organized and disorganized crime groups can launder their wildlife through a company to get it into the legitimate market

Discussion and conclusion

Findings

Compliance with ethical standards