18 February 2013: John Scanlon, Secretary-General, Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), has welcomed the results achieved by Operation Cobra, a month long cross-continent joint operation to combat illegal wildlife trade.

Operation Cobra brought together police, customs and wildlife officers from Botswana, Cambodia, Cameroon, China, Congo (Brazzaville), Democratic Republic of Congo, Gabon, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Laos, Malaysia, Mozambique, Nepal, Singapore, South Africa, Tanzania, Thailand, Uganda, US, Viet Nam and Zambia. Scanlon stressed the role of the Operation in effective follow-up investigations and in the use of controlled deliveries, to ensure that the entire criminal chain was uncovered.

Executed between 6 January and 5 February 2013, the Operation focused on some key species that are subject to illegal wildlife trade such as Asian big cats, elephants, great apes, pangolins and rhinos, and resulted in a large number of arrests and seizures. Operation Cobra also created opportunities for the authorities involved to establish new professional relationships with their counterparts from different agencies, countries and regions of the world. [CITES Press Release] [Operation Cobra Press Release]