Money laundering enables poaching. And 30,000 elephants a year pay the price.
Criminal syndicates kill an elephant every 25 minutes for its tusks. Then they abuse the financial system to legitimise the proceeds. It’s time for the financial sector to take a stand. See how we’re working with partners to fight the money laundering that fuels the illegal wildlife trade.
Explore how financial crime funds the poaching of endangered animals
Discover the facts and figures behind the illegal wildlife trade, the importance of treating the illegal wildlife trade like any other form of organised crime, and why banks have a role to play in tackling it.
Explore how financial crime funds the poaching of endangered animals
Discover the facts and figures behind the illegal wildlife trade, the importance of treating the illegal wildlife trade like any other form of organised crime, and why banks have a role to play in tackling it.
What experts and advocates say
To stop the illegal wildlife trade, focus must shift from low-level poachers and traffickers to the financial beneficiaries behind the scenes.
Illegal wildlife trade is having a detrimental impact on wildlife around the world. Dismantling the financing of illegal wildlife traffickers will be the ultimate game changer in this war.
It is the responsibility of all of us – individuals, corporations and governments – to put a stop to this barbaric trade and keep wildlife in the wild.
Wildlife trafficking is currently high-reward but low-risk for organised criminals. To tackle it, governments need to apply the same methodology used to combat other major transnational crimes and take significant legal action.
Elephants symbolise the wonder of the natural world. The illegal trade in ivory threatens their survival and benefits criminal syndicates. It must be stamped out.
Natural habitats and their wildlife bring ecological and economic value to people and governments. The illegal wildlife trade strips the assets from those habitats, stealing that value from everyone. It must stop.
Illegal wildlife trade globally is driving many species to the brink of extinction. I laud the initiative of Standard Chartered and others to combat wildlife trafficking. This is a serious problem and it’s posing grave threats to the world and the environment.
At Standard Chartered, we want to apply what we’ve learnt in tackling other forms of financial crime to take the fight to the wildlife traders’ doors. That’s why we’re training bank branch tellers to better spot potentially suspicious transactions relating to the illegal wildlife trade and making this crime an area of focus for our financial crime investigators. Beyond our business we’re working to strengthen the collective understanding of the crime’s financial footprint, and are playing a central role in The Royal Foundation’s United for Wildlife Financial Taskforce.
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