Investigation exposes Cambodia’s illegal wildlife trade linked to transnational crime

A yearlong undercover investigation by U.S.-based NGO Earth League International (ELI) has exposed a widespread illegal wildlife trade in Cambodia that caters to high-ranking officials and wealthy Chinese individuals. The report, titled "Sandokan," identified five key figures operating transnational criminal networks engaged in wildlife smuggling, human and drug trafficking, and intricate scam operations.

Products derived from endangered species, such as tiger bone wine, tiger cub meat, rhino horns, and elephant ivory, were openly sold in shops and upscale restaurants throughout the country. ELI investigators observed a shocking abundance of wildlife in the possession of these individuals, with tiger bone wine stored in ornate tiger-shaped bottles, tiger cub meat served as a delicacy, and rooms filled with rhino horns and elephant ivory.

The investigation revealed that wildlife products were frequently stored in warehouses situated in special economic zones (SEZs) - industrial and commercial areas providing tax incentives. These same facilities also housed other illicit activities, including the storage of drugs and illegally logged timber. Wildlife trafficking was often intertwined with money laundering through casinos within the SEZs, a model previously exposed by the UK-based Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) in its 2015 report on the Kings Romans Casino in Laos's Golden Triangle SEZ.