China law enforcement support (national level)

Environmental Investigation Agency, UK (EIA)

EIA conducts research and investigations on the trade in tigers and their parts and derivatives, profiling individuals, businesses and networks involved in this trade in China and Laos, and with partners, maps those networks as they extend between Thailand and Vietnam. EIA publishes reports of their research and investigation findings, and provides more sensitive information to relevant national government agencies such as police, customs and CITES authorities, and to relevant IGOs such as INTERPOL and enforcement contacts in the CITES Secretariat. EIA has also shared such information with US Fish and Wildlife Service (US FWS) and US Drug Enforcement Agency (US DEA) agents based in Asia. Where appropriate, EIA also shares such sensitive information with certain NGOs with the relevant expertise based in China, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam. This also includes mapping the scale and trends in the illicit trade of Asian big cats in the region. EIA’s reports as well as more detailed confidential information help to mobilize action by organizations involved in law enforcement as well as consumer demand reduction. These campaign tools can also can be used to pressure relevant government agencies, including in China, Laos and Vietnam, to ensure there are adequate resources to improve regional and international enforcement co-operation. EIA is also examining wildlife protection laws in China and Laos, with a specific reference to tiger farming, to assist in strengthening wildlife protection and the implementation of the relevant CITES Resolution and associated Decisions. This follows on previous work of EIA on the tiger trade including a report and film in 2015 concerning this trade in China and by Chinese nationals and businesses in Laos.

EIA conducts research and investigations on the trafficking of ivory between Africa and Asia, particularly China, Laos and Vietnam, with some linkages to Thailand. These investigations examine the composition of criminal networks and their methods to traffic ivory, and other wildlife contraband, on an inter-regional level between source countries in Africa and destination countries in Asia. EIA publishes reports of this research and investigative findings, and provides more sensitive information to relevant national government agencies such as police, customs and CITES authorities, and to relevant IGOs such as INTERPOL, the WCO and enforcement contacts in the CITES Secretariat. EIA has also shared such information with US FWS and US DEA agents based in Africa and Asia. Where appropriate, EIA shares such sensitive information with certain NGOs with the relevant expertise based in China, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam. This also includes mapping the scale and trends in the illicit trade of ivory. The information can then be provided to assist organizations conducting law enforcement support, and also can be used to pressure relevant governments, including in China, Laos and Vietnam, to take action to investigate the individuals and companies identified by EIA as likely being involved in ivory trafficking, and to improve regional and international enforcement co-operation.

EIA is producing a field guide for law enforcement officers on the Asian big cat trade in partnership with CITES. This guide will assist front line officers in identifying products made or derived from these species and understand the methods of operation of the criminal networks involved in such trade. The guide will be distributed by the CITES Secretariat to all CITES Parties including to the CITES authorities in Cambodia, China, Laos, Thailand, and Vietnam.

EIA is finalizing a short film and seventeen modules to be used for wildlife law enforcement training. This project has been formally endorsed by the CITES Secretariat, INTERPOL, WCO and several governments. Relevant enforcement agencies in Hong Kong, Thailand and Vietnam have participated in the film. The modules cover different areas such as crime scene management, controlled deliveries, DNA analysis of ivory, financial investigations and best practice for successful prosecutions. The film and the modules will be distributed physically through USB sticks/DVDs and via a password-protected secure website. This will be distributed widely to various national government agencies, including in Cambodia, China, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam.

International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW)

IFAW monitors wildlife markets (online and offline) and provides information to enforcement agencies. Based on the understanding of the wildlife markets and trade trends, IFAW produces species identification manuals, provides training for enforcement agencies and industries to crack down on illegal trade and better regulate the marketplaces. IFAW conducts at least six workshops each year. Participants include CITES Management and enforcement officials, customs, and forestry police officials in China. The last training was in December 2016, IFAW in collaboration with CNMA Urumqi Office organized the Inner Mongolia multi-departmental CITES enforcement training. IFAW notes that illicit wildlife trade is an issue that expands beyond China’s borders, thus supports international collaboration between Chinese enforcement agencies with their counterparts from other countries, regions and continents.

International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL)

INTERPOL assists its 190 Member Countries, which include Cambodia, China, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam share criminal intelligence, including for issues of environmental crime, through National Central Bureaus (NCBs) in each country. INTERPOL can, upon the request of member countries, deploy an Investigative Support Team (IST) pertaining to particular investigative pursuits. INTERPOL’s Environmental Security Sub-Directorate provides analysis of information submitted by member countries covering investigations of major cases, including both domestic transnational cases. INTERPOL also hosts Regional Investigative and Analytical Case Meetings (RIACMs) to bring two or more countries together to exchange information and work together on specific investigations. In the first half of 2017, INTERPOL is planning three RIACMs that involve the countries of the region:

· Yangon – March 2017 – China

· Singapore – May 2017 – Cambodia, Vietnam

· Singapore – May 2017 – Thailand

Other RIACMs are planned for later in the year. The dates and venues are yet to be confirmed. Cambodia, China, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam, will be invited based on the investigation covered by the meeting.

INTERPOL provides specialized training to member countries, primarily to their police services, and regularly brings together representatives from multiple countries simultaneously. The following training has been planned for the first half of 2017 (including subject, member countries invited, and venue):

· Online trade investigation training – Cambodia, China, Laos, Thailand, Vietnam (Singapore, June 2017);

· Digital forensics: data extraction and analysis – Cambodia, China, Laos, Thailand, Vietnam (Singapore, June 2017);

· Crime Scene Investigation Training – Cambodia, China, Laos, Thailand, Vietnam (July 2017).

INTERPOL hosts National Environmental Security Seminars (NESS) to encourage national multi-agency communication and cooperation on environmental crime. Member countries are then encouraged to form a National Environmental Security Taskforce (NEST). A NESS is planned for China in 2017 with a date to be confirmed.

INTERPOL Project Waylay, funded by the U.K. Department for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), has been focusing on building control delivery capacity and interest in member countries since 2014. So far the work has been on capacity building and developing a common guideline. Currently INTERPOL is working with countries that have expressed an interest in Asia and Africa to identify potential cases in which controlled deliveries can be organized. Discussions are ongoing with China, Laos, Thailand, and Vietnam on this issue. Equipment may be provided as needed.

INTERPOL conducts annual operations targeting environmental crime. The most recent, Thunderbird, finalized in February 2017, included 43 countries, among which were China (Hong Kong) and Thailand.

TRAFFIC

TRAFFIC has expertise and credibility in tackling wildlife trafficking and acts through its regional and country-based teams across Asia as well as in Africa, Europe and Americas. Using primary research and contextual understanding to analyze information on wildlife trade dynamics, TRAFFIC’s evidence-based outputs assist government law enforcement agencies to disrupt and dismantle trafficking syndicates and increase deterrents through sentencing and prosecution. The Wildlife Trafficking, Response, Assessment, and Priority Setting (Wildlife TRAPS) Project, financed by USAID and implemented by TRAFFIC, in collaboration with the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), is designed to develop and deliver a suite of ground-breaking partnerships and pioneering approaches to tackle wildlife crime between Africa and Asia. The Wildlife TRAPS Project delivers activities through 6 key thematic work streams including: 1) Engaging the Transportation Sector, 2) Enforcement Capacity and Inter-Agency Collaboration, 3) Financial Investigation and Asset Recovery, 4) Wildlife Forensics, 5) Consumer Behaviour Change and Demand Reduction and 6) Community Engagement. The project is building a collective understanding of the true character and scale of the response required through targeted assessments, setting priorities through collaborative action planning, identifying interventions points, and testing non-traditional approaches. This project commenced in 2013 and will run through February 2020.

TRAFFIC conducts regular market monitoring surveys along with seizure data analysis and intelligence gathering across the country particularly related to the trades in ivory, tigers, rhinos, pangolins, shark fins and many other products. Chinese e-commerce websites and social media are also systematically monitored. Research and analysis conducted by TRAFFIC is used to advocate legislative changes and step up enforcement interventions – e.g. within the National Inter-agency CITES Enforcement Coordination Group (NICE-CG) and Provincial Interagency CITES Coordination Group (PICE-CG). The following is a selection of TRAFFIC reports involving the wildlife trade in China:

· Xiao, Y., Wang, J. (2015). Moving Target: tracking online sales of illegal wildlife products in China. TRAFFIC Briefing Paper: February.

· Guan, J. and Xu, L. (2015). Deadly Messaging: illegal ivory trade in China’s Social Media. TRAFFIC report: November.

· Xu, L., Guan, J., Lau, W., Xiao, Y. (2016) An Overview of Pangolin Trade in China. TRAFFIC Briefing September 2016.

TRAFFIC conducts regular law enforcement trainings, a number of which involve cross-border/multi-country trainings. Furthermore, TRAFFIC, through the Wildlife TRAPS project, is supporting the participation of Asian customs officials, including from Hong Kong, in the World Custom’s Organization’s project INAMA trainings to build capacity on enforcement planning with customs officials from sub-Saharan African countries.

United for Wildlife (UfW)

UfW is working with the transportation sector through the UfW Transport Taskforce in an effort to encourage increased action regarding the transport of illegal wildlife products. One of the focus activities is to enable the sharing of NGO information on wildlife trafficking with the transportation industry – see below section on private sector commitment building.

In 2014 and 2015 the global law firm, DLA Piper, undertook reviews of wildlife legislation in a number of countries involved in illegal wildlife trade as either predominantly supply, transit and consumer locations. This work was undertaken pro bono in support of United for Wildlife. These reports provide a snap shot of the wildlife legislation as well as identifying any ancillary legislation that can be used in the prosecution of wildlife crimes. China was included in the first phase of reports under this work. Subsequently DLA Piper also provided input and comment on the revision of the Wildlife Law in China.

United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)

UNDP is developing a GEF-financed regional project across tiger range states titled “South-South Cooperation for Sustainability of the Global Tiger Recovery Programme” that will be implemented with the Global Tiger Forum. The project’s goal is to promote the long-term survival of the tiger in ecologically intact landscapes across its range. The project will develop and test a simplified and harmonized monitoring and reporting protocol in close consultation with the 13 tiger range countries, tiger researchers and other relevant scientists, conservation practitioners and managers of tiger areas. The project will also address the financial sustainability of tiger conservation by making the business case for tiger conservation, developing new streams of domestic finance for tigers and targeting private finance at the regional level. Finally the project will ensure that tiger range countries have sufficient capacity, tools and mechanisms for effective implementation, monitoring and updating of their respective National Tiger Recovery Plans, including collaboration and joint action in thematic areas that transcend national boundaries.

United Nations Environment Programme (UN Environment)

UN Environment, in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme and others, will convene an Africa-Asia Symposium on Strengthening Legal Frameworks to Combat Wildlife Crime on 4-5 July 2017 in Bangkok – see reference below in commitment building section.

United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC)

UNODC has not yet officially engaged with China on wildlife and forest crime issues, but in 2017 UNODC will conduct three cross-border cooperation courses on anti-smuggling and advanced investigative techniques for frontline law enforcement officials, which will also include sessions on wildlife trafficking. The courses will be conducted through the Border Liaison Offices at crossings between China-Pakistan, China-Laos, and China-Vietnam. UNODC has supported the establishment of a network of more than 70 Border Liaison Offices (BLOs) through its Border Management Programme throughout the Greater Mekong Sub-region, including in Cambodia, China, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam. UNODC provides regular training and capacity building support to BLOs to ensure that border law enforcement agencies have standardized knowledge, skills and communication mechanisms to collect and share information and intelligence, and are able to better respond to the growing threat of cross-border crimes in the region.

Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS)

WCS is gathering information on rhino horn, turtle, ivory and pangolin trafficking in Southern China and the connections to Southeast Asia, particularly Vietnam, Indonesia, and Africa with a focus on Mozambique and Uganda. WCS alsocarries out regular monitoring of availability and price of ivory, rhino horn, freshwater turtles and tortoises, tiger and pangolin in physical markets in southern China and national online markets.

WCS facilitates cross-border cooperation between China and Vietnam, Lao and Myanmar, providing support to meetings, joint-trainings and serving as a communications bridge to share intelligence that has led to enforcement actions.

WCS is working with Chinese and Ugandan diplomatic missions, State-owned Enterprises, and law enforcement agencies on a crime prevention program targeting Chinese travelers to Uganda who buy ivory and other contraband wildlife products. This includes developing government and corporate policies and supporting transnational enforcement cooperation. WCS is seeking to train a cadre of investigators who could be used in African investigations. WCS notes there is a lack of Chinese or Vietnamese undercover investigators for international wildlife crime cases.

WCS partners with training academies to provide CWT capacity-building events to more than 1,000 officers from forestry police, customs, SFA, quarantine, fisheries and prosecutors primarily in Southern China (Yunnan, Guangxi, Guangdong provinces).

WCS partnered with Beijing Normal University and The Nature Conservancy convened an expert group of economists, criminologists, ivory trade experts and China experts to develop a series of briefing papers to guide the ivory ban implementation.

World Customs Organization (WCO)

The World Customs Organization (WCO) project INAMA focuses on wildlife trafficking in sub-Sahara Africa mainly, though some initiatives have also included Asian countries. For example, under INAMA, WCO conducted a training in Bangkok in January 2015 concerning controlled delivery of illegally traded wildlife goods. This training was attended, amongst others, by China and Thailand (customs, wildlife agency, and police). As a follow-up to this training a delegation from China Customs visited South African Customs in May-June 2015, and another delegation from China Customs visited Kenya Customs. The objective of both visits was to explore the possibility of conducting a controlled delivery of illegally traded wildlife products and to strengthen the relationship between the two customs administrations. Furthermore, in May-June 2016 a delegation from Kenya Customs visited China to explore the possibility of drafting a memorandum of understanding to enable the sharing of information and to set up the framework to conduct controlled deliveries.

INAMA hosted a significant training to build capacity on enforcement planning in Namibia from 8-12 May 2017 for customs officials from sub-Saharan African countries, and customs officials joined from Hong Kong, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam due to funding from the TRAFFIC TRAPS project.