"Buried within numbers and codes is a steady stream of #wildAnimals arriving in #Armenia from Congo, Lebanon, and Iran, only to vanish from official radar. This is the story of how Armenia remains a grey hub for the #wildlifeTrade: where exotic and #endangeredSpecies imported through international schemes are rerouted to private collections..."

https://evnreport.com/environment/ahead-of-cop17-armenia-remains-a-wildlife-laundromat-2/
#COP17 #biodiversity #wildlifeTrafficking #illegalWildlifeTrade #wildlifeSmuggling @nature

South African men sentenced in ‘world’s largest’ rhino horn trafficking case
By Rachel Savage in Johannesburg and agencies

‘Mastermind’ Dawie Groenewald given fine of 2m rand or four-year jail term almost 16 years after arrest

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jun/18/south-africa-men-sentenced-rhino-horn-trafficking-case

#SouthAfrica #Illegalwildlifetrade #Animals #Wildlife #Conservation #Environment #Africa #Worldnews #RachelSavageinJohannesburg #agencies

Inside the illegal eel trade: is there a way to stop Europe’s biggest wildlife crime before it’s too late?

Interviews with experts and key players across four countries reveal why efforts to stop the multibillion-euro trafficking industry have failed – and how to save the endangered fish.

https://mediafaro.org/article/20251022-inside-the-illegal-eel-trade-is-there-a-way-to-stop-europes-biggest-wildlife-crime-before-its-too-late?mf_channel=mastodon&action=forward

#Eels #Wildlife #Environment #Conservation #Europe #Japan #France #Spain #Portugal #UK #EndangeredSpecies #IllegalWildlifeTrade #Europol #Longread