Financial Transparency Coalition

Illegal poaching and trade of wildlife is a massive problem for developing countries, particularly those inAsia. Often these products find their way across boarders—stuffed into suitcases, packed into trucks, and occasionally carried. Protected and endangered species are killed and sold for their organs, flesh, bones, skin, and scales, which are turned into tonics, ornaments, meat, and traditional medicines. Of course this is an environmental problem. Many of these animals are endangered or protected. Of all the illegal wildlife product seizures inAustralialast year, two-thirds were traditional medicines containing ingredients from endangered species. But this is also a development problem and...

WASHINGTON, DC – Global Financial Integrity (GFI) Managing Director Tom Cardamone will testify tomorrow before the full U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations on the global security implications of poaching in Africa, explaining how the opaque structures in the international financial system—particularly anonymous American shell companies—facilitate illicit wildlife trafficking, drug smuggling, arms dealing and even terrorist financing.