CAWT NewsCAWT Newshttp://www.cawtglobal.org/home/2010-07-20T10:42:25ZSquarespace10 years for rhino horn smugglerhttp://www.cawtglobal.org/home/2010/7/20/10-years-for-rhino-horn-smuggler.htmlCAWT2010-07-20T10:31:25Z2010-07-20T10:31:25ZJuly 2010—A Vietnamese national who attempted to smuggle rhino horn out of South Africa has been sentenced to 10 years in jail.
Zhong Whong, who works as a security guard in Vietnam, was found guilty in Kempton Park Magistrate's Court in South Africa of fraud and breaking the Biodiversity Act.]]>Major ivory seizure in Thailandhttp://www.cawtglobal.org/home/2010/7/20/major-ivory-seizure-in-thailand.htmlCAWT2010-07-20T10:18:11Z2010-07-20T10:18:11ZJuly 2010—Thai customs officers have seized 765 kg of African Elephant ivory at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi international airport, according to media reports circulating from 16 July.
The seizure was said to be labeled as furniture and plastic folders and concealed in a shipment sent from Kenya to Bangkok.]]>Second major Malagasy wildlife seizure in Malaysia inside five weekshttp://www.cawtglobal.org/home/2010/7/20/second-major-malagasy-wildlife-seizure-in-malaysia-inside-fi.htmlCAWT2010-07-20T09:35:28Z2010-07-20T09:35:28ZJuly 2010—For the second time in just over a month hundreds of Critically Endangered tortoises from Madagascar have been seized by wildlife enforcement officers in Malaysia.
On 14 July, Malaysian Customs Department officers arrested two women in whose bags more than 370 tortoises, 47 Tomato Frogs and several chameleons were hidden. ]]>Rare reptiles seized in Asiahttp://www.cawtglobal.org/home/2010/6/21/rare-reptiles-seized-in-asia.htmlCAWT2010-06-21T16:08:07Z2010-06-21T16:08:07ZJune 2010—Two recent cases involving the attempted smuggling of rare turtles and tortoises in Asia are indicative of a widespread illegal trade in endangered reptiles in the region.
In late May, a truck smuggling 126 turtles was intercepted by Forestry Administration and military police officials in Kandal province, Cambodia, in an operation one official described as being unprecedented in size. The cargo weighed 804 kg.]]>INTERPOL’s Operation Mogatle targets illegal ivory and rhino horn across southern Africahttp://www.cawtglobal.org/home/2010/5/20/interpols-operation-mogatle-targets-illegal-ivory-and-rhino.htmlCAWT2010-05-20T09:52:58Z2010-05-20T09:52:58Z20 May 2010—A transnational operation co-ordinated by INTERPOL targeting wildlife crime across southern Africa has resulted in the location and closure of an illegal ivory factory, the seizure of nearly 400 kg of ivory and rhino horn and the arrest of 41 people.
The two-day Operation Mogatle, carried out over 13-14 May, involved nearly 200 officers from police, national wildlife, customs and national intelligence agencies from Botswana, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Zambia and Zimbabwe.]]>Thai Customs seize 1.4 tonnes of ivoryhttp://www.cawtglobal.org/home/2010/4/21/thai-customs-seize-14-tonnes-of-ivory.htmlCAWT2010-04-21T13:57:33Z2010-04-21T13:57:33ZBangkok, Thailand, 21 April 2010—Customs officers at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport seized almost 1.4 tonnes of elephant ivory tusks on 17 April, officials in Thailand announced today.
Acting on a tip-off, Customs officers discovered 296 African Elephant tusks weighing a combined total of 1,390 kg inside three crates on board a flight from Qatar. The cargo was labeled as “printing metal” and addressed to a Thai company based in Bangkok.
This is the latest in a series of large scale ivory seizures involving Thailand and ivory illegally transported from Africa via the Middle East: in February, Customs officials at Suvarnabhumi seized 239 African Elephant tusks weighing an estimated two tonnes, reported to be the country’s biggest ever ivory seizure. The ivory was said to have arrived on an Emirates flight from Dubai where it arrived from Nairobi, and was apparently destined for Lao PDR.]]>Progress in some areas at CITES, but marine proposals failhttp://www.cawtglobal.org/home/2010/3/31/progress-in-some-areas-at-cites-but-marine-proposals-fail.htmlCAWT2010-03-31T16:34:00Z2010-03-31T16:34:00ZDoha, Qatar–The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) meeting finished in Qatar in late March and was marked by the repeated rejection of proposals to afford better protection for marine species, such as the Atlantic Bluefin Tuna, corals and several shark species, and no movement on whether to resume legal sales of African ivory.
However, away from these high profile issues, there was significant progress in other areas on the conservation agenda, notably in progress towards implementing better protection for rhinos, tigers, and Humphead Wrasse and for better implementation of an Ivory Action Plan.]]>CITES meeting opens in Dohahttp://www.cawtglobal.org/home/2010/3/15/cites-meeting-opens-in-doha.htmlCAWT2010-03-15T12:48:36Z2010-03-15T12:48:36ZDoha, Qatar, March 2010 - The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) formally began on 13 March, with a spectacular opening ceremony featuring traditional dancing and drums.
The assembled delegates then listened to speeches by Qatar Minister of the Environment, Abdullah bin Aaboud al-Midhad, Achim Steiner, Executive Director UNEP, and outgoing Secretary-General of CITES, Willem Wijnstekers.]]>Clampdown on medicines made with endangered plants and animals hailed a successhttp://www.cawtglobal.org/home/2010/3/5/clampdown-on-medicines-made-with-endangered-plants-and-anima.htmlCAWT2010-03-05T13:15:17Z2010-03-05T13:15:17ZUK, 5 March 2010—A UK inspired world-wide Interpol operation aimed at stopping the illegal trade in traditional medicines containing endangered plant and animal species has been hailed a success.
In December 2009, Nick Mark of Wildlife Alliance accompanied members of Cambodia’s Wildlife Rapid Rescue Team (WRRT) to Siem Reap where, posing as a tourist with Military Policeman Kong Samroul as his guide, he ventured up steps of the temple adjoining Phnom Kulen National Park while the rest of the team waited a short distance away as to avoid arousing suspicion.]]>
July 2010—A Vietnamese national who attempted to smuggle rhino horn out of South Africa has been sentenced to 10 years in jail.
July 2010—Thai customs officers have seized 765 kg of African Elephant ivory at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi international airport, according to media reports circulating from 16 July. 
July 2010—For the second time in just over a month hundreds of Critically Endangered tortoises from Madagascar have been seized by wildlife enforcement officers in Malaysia. 
June 2010—Two recent cases involving the attempted smuggling of rare turtles and tortoises in Asia are indicative of a widespread illegal trade in endangered reptiles in the region. 
20 May 2010—A transnational operation co-ordinated by INTERPOL targeting wildlife crime across southern Africa has resulted in the location and closure of an illegal ivory factory, the seizure of nearly 400 kg of ivory and rhino horn and the arrest of 41 people.
Bangkok, Thailand, 21 April 2010—Customs officers at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport seized almost 1.4 tonnes of elephant ivory tusks on 17 April, officials in Thailand announced today. 
Doha, Qatar–The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) meeting finished in Qatar in late March and was marked by the repeated rejection of proposals to afford better protection for marine species, such as the Atlantic Bluefin Tuna, corals and several shark species, and no movement on whether to resume legal sales of African ivory. 
Doha, Qatar, March 2010 - The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) formally began on 13 March, with a spectacular opening ceremony featuring traditional dancing and drums. 
UK, 5 March 2010—A UK inspired world-wide Interpol operation aimed at stopping the illegal trade in traditional medicines containing endangered plant and animal species has been hailed a success.
A Leopard pelt seized by authorities in Cambodia during an operation against illegal wildlife trafficking © Wildlife Alliance 8 February 2010—Authorities in Cambodia, with assistance from CAWT Partner Wildlife Alliance, have arrested a man on suspicion of attempting to sell a Leopard skin and other parts of threatened wildlife species.