Criminal networks and illicit wildlife

Abstract

This five day help desk review provides an overview of academic, policy and practitioner literature that examines the illicit wildlife trade and criminal networks. Whilst there exists’ a broad consensus that illegal wildlife trade is a pressing and growing concern, there is much debate as to what this trade entails and who the key actors are. It is important to highlight that illicit wildlife trade involves a broad range of actions, receiving different levels of attention from various academic, policy and practitioner communities. This being said there is increasing agreement on the stages involved in the illicit wildlife trade and the nature of the criminal networks involved.