China’s Clear Wind Operation 2024 Achieves Significant Resultsin Cracking Down on Illegal Wildlife Trade
Beijing, September 25 (Xinhua) – A three-month special law enforcement operation, Clear Wind Operation 2024, jointly conducted by 11 departments, has successfully cracked down ona large number of cases involving the illegal trade of wild animals and plants, effectively curbing such activities, according to the National Forestry and Grassland Administration of China.
From April to June this year, the National Forestry and Grassland Administration, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Central Political and Legal Affairs Commission, Central Cyberspace Administration of China, Ministry of Public Security, Ministry of Transport, General Administration of Customs, State Administration for Market Regulation, National Railway Administration, Civil Aviation Administration of China, and State Post Bureau, launched the operation nationwide. The focus was on cracking down on illegal hunting, collecting, artificial breeding, selling, purchasing, transporting,mailing, consuming, utilizing, and importing and exporting of wild animals and plants.
During the operation, a total of over 350,000 law enforcement vehicles and 1.06 million law enforcement personnel were deployed nationwide. They conducted inspections at over 790,000 locations, includingwildlife habitats, artificial breeding sites, business utilization sites, transportation hubs, ports and coastal areas, and postal companies.
The operation resulted in the investigation of over 10,000 cases related to wildlife, including 5,567 criminal cases. 537 criminal gangs were busted,and 11,000 individuals involved in illegal activities were apprehended. Authorities confiscated over 700,000 wild animals (heads, tails, plants), over 160,000 pieces and 950,000 kilograms of wildlife products, and over 40,000 illegal hunting and fishing tools. Illegal gains of 43.69 million yuan (RMB) were seized, and fines and penalties totaling 11.12 million yuan were imposed.
An official from the National Forestry and Grassland Administration highlighted that the inter-ministerial jointconference system for combating illegal wildlife trade will continue to focus on combining targeted crackdowns with comprehensive governance, online and offline coordination, and tackling both the source and the chain. The system will strengthen inter-departmental collaboration, further enhance wildlife law enforcement capabilities, and solidify the full-chain protection network for wild animals and plants.
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