Traffic Southeast Asia

Traffic Southeast Asia Monitoring wildlife trade. Fighting wildlife crime. A non-governmental organisation working in all 10 Southeast Asian countries, monitoring the wildlife trade.

Imagine a creature that looks like a mashup of a bear, a cat, and a monkey, boasts a long, bushy prehensile tail it uses...
12/06/2026

Imagine a creature that looks like a mashup of a bear, a cat, and a monkey, boasts a long, bushy prehensile tail it uses like a fifth hand to navigate the treetops, and smells distinctively like a fresh batch of hot, buttered popcorn.

Meet the binturong (or bearcat!)—one of Southeast Asia’s most elusive and unusual arboreal (tree-dwelling) mammals. Though they might look like oversized house cats, these shy forest-dwellers are actually giant cousins of the civet. Sadly, their quirky charm is exactly what puts them in harm's way. Classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List due to severe habitat loss, binturongs are increasingly targeted by the illegal wildlife trade.

That demand may have played a role in a recent case in Shah Alam, Malaysia, where a man was arrested after authorities discovered a totally protected binturong being illegally kept at his home without a special permit required by law. According to investigators, the man had allegedly obtained the binturong from a friend last year. https://tinyurl.com/mr3y582v

The Johor Bahru (Malaysia) – Singapore land border crossing is one of the world’s busiest land border gateways, with tho...
11/06/2026

The Johor Bahru (Malaysia) – Singapore land border crossing is one of the world’s busiest land border gateways, with thousands of people and vehicles passing through every day. While this movement supports trade and connectivity, it can also create opportunities for wildlife traffickers seeking to move illegal wildlife and wildlife products across borders.
To strengthen frontline detection and enforcement efforts, TRAFFIC Southeast Asia, in collaboration with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability (NRES) and Malaysia Border Control and Protection Agency (AKPS), organised the Transboundary Wildlife Trafficking Workshop for law enforcement officers at land border checkpoints in Johor Bahru.
The workshop brought together [participant total] participants from enforcement agencies and border control authorities to enhance understanding of wildlife trafficking trends, strengthen species identification skills, and improve coordination in detecting and responding to wildlife crime at land border checkpoints.
By building knowledge, sharpening inspection skills, and fostering collaboration among agencies, we can help ensure that wildlife traffickers find fewer opportunities to exploit one of the world’s busiest border crossings.
Kementerian Sumber Asli dan Kelestarian Alam (NRES)
Agensi Kawalan dan Perlindungan Sempadan Malaysia - AKPS
Jabatan Kastam Diraja Malaysia
Malaysian Timber Industry Board
Jabatan PERHILITAN Semenanjung Malaysia

The Riau Islands Regional Police just shut down a massive smuggling operation in Batam! Authorities intercepted a suspic...
11/06/2026

The Riau Islands Regional Police just shut down a massive smuggling operation in Batam! Authorities intercepted a suspicious car right after it left Hang Nadim International Airport and found boxes stuffed with over 100,000 illegal lobster seeds. The smugglers tried to get sneaky by hiding the plastic bags of larvae inside suitcases packed with old, used rags, planning to fly them from Jakarta out to Singapore and eventually Vietnam.

Two suspects, one who acted as the courier transporting the goods and another who organized the pickup, were arrested at the scene and are currently held for investigation. https://tinyurl.com/2fphhn43

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This latest seizure adds to a series of lobster seed smuggling cases linked to the Indonesia–Singapore route in recent months.

Around January 2026, authorities uncovered three connected smuggling attempts involving more than 98,000 lobster seeds hidden inside wet blankets packed into suitcases. Four suspects were arrested, with the shipments believed to be heading towards Singapore and Cambodia. https://tinyurl.com/wadvdk5t

Around March 2026, more than 54,000 lobster seeds were found concealed inside two suitcases at an Indonesian airport before they could be flown to Singapore. Two passengers were detained after airport screening officers flagged the luggage for inspection. https://tinyurl.com/ys7p6p6f

What may have looked like ordinary souvenirs and decorative carvings in Bali turned out to be part of an alleged illegal...
10/06/2026

What may have looked like ordinary souvenirs and decorative carvings in Bali turned out to be part of an alleged illegal ivory trade. The case began when Indonesian authorities spotted a Facebook post advertising products suspected to be made from protected wildlife parts. Their investigation led to art shops in Gianyar Regency, where officers seized numerous carvings, handicrafts, and other items made from elephant ivory.

One suspect was arrested in the case. The investigation highlights how continued demand for ivory carvings, ornaments, and collectible items helps fuel illegal poaching and wildlife trafficking, keeping a market alive for products made from protected species. https://tinyurl.com/ytktnprs

A suitcase packed with live wild animals turned a routine airport check into a major wildlife trafficking bust at Suva...
09/06/2026

A suitcase packed with live wild animals turned a routine airport check into a major wildlife trafficking bust at Suvarnabhumi Airport, Thailand, in late May 2026, where a Malaysian man was stopped just before boarding a flight to India. Officers say the 34-year-old was found carrying 251 live animals hidden inside checked luggage, raising fresh concerns about Thailand being used as a transit hub for illegal wildlife trade.

Inside the bag were a mix of protected and wild species, including 2 hornbills, 2 Patagonian maras, 62 iguanas, 5 monitor lizards, 100 blue-tongued skinks, and 80 turtles. https://tinyurl.com/y7s28d9p

For years, they never touched real ground — only cold wire cages, stripped of movement, light, and anything that makes a...
09/06/2026

For years, they never touched real ground — only cold wire cages, stripped of movement, light, and anything that makes a bear feel like a bear. In northern Laos at the end of May last month, 27 Asiatic black bears were rescued from a large bile extraction facility disguised as a zoo. The bears had been repeatedly exploited for bile used in traditional medicine. Demand for bear bile, driven by long standing beliefs in its medicinal value, has kept this trade alive for decades and continues to fuel severe animal suffering.

The rescue was carried out by Free the Bears with support from the Lao government. It is believed to be one of the largest bear bile farm closures in Southeast Asia. The bears are now receiving care in sanctuary facilities in Luang Prabang, slowly recovering after years in confinement, while rescuers also found dozens of empty cages, suggesting the operation was still expanding before it was shut down. https://tinyurl.com/3zahhema

Every burning season in Thailand, sugarcane fields become dangerous traps for leopard cat cubs and a source of concern b...
08/06/2026

Every burning season in Thailand, sugarcane fields become dangerous traps for leopard cat cubs and a source of concern beyond just fire. According to a wildlife rescue center report in northeastern Thailand, admissions have risen sharply since 2023 from about 10 a year to roughly 40–65. Many cubs are found alone after fires sweep through plantations where they shelter. This season’s survival rate also improved to around 80% up from about 40% in previous years, likely due to faster reporting through a wildlife hotline and fewer severe burn cases linked to reduced burning practices.

But the report says fires are only part of the story. Experts warn that habitat fragmentation is pushing leopard cats into farmland where they face threats including human conflict, disease and opportunistic capture. The report notes that cubs may also be collected after fires, raising concerns about links to small wild cat wildlife trade and trafficking. https://tinyurl.com/57r42225

Smugglers went to great lengths to hide what is believed to be rhino horn inside souvenir statues, but authorities at Wa...
08/06/2026

Smugglers went to great lengths to hide what is believed to be rhino horn inside souvenir statues, but authorities at Wattay International Airport in Laos still uncovered the shipment. On 15 May 2026, a Vietnamese man was arrested after officials found four pieces of suspected rhino horn weighing 10.1 kg concealed in decorative items. The shipment had reportedly originated in Angola and passed through multiple countries before arriving in Laos, with the suspect believed to be planning to transport the wildlife product onward through the region.

The case was detected during X-ray screening at Wattay International Airport, where authorities discovered the suspected rhino horn hidden inside black souvenir statues. One suspect has been arrested. The case involved four pieces believed to be rhino horn. https://tinyurl.com/ys93wm6w

Do you work in the maritime shipping industry in Singapore, or know someone who does? Tell them about our upcoming webin...
05/06/2026

Do you work in the maritime shipping industry in Singapore, or know someone who does?
Tell them about our upcoming webinar on detecting wildlife trafficked through containerized shipping!
You can learn more about Singapore's wildlife regulatory framework, red flag indicators and tools available... And there will be a panel Q&A discussion with government agency and industry representatives!
Wednesday 10 June, 10-11am. Register through https://tinyurl.com/28fu8a4m

A stash of over 2,000 marine turtle eggs and a cross-border smuggling attempt ended with a 36-year-old Indonesian man ja...
04/06/2026

A stash of over 2,000 marine turtle eggs and a cross-border smuggling attempt ended with a 36-year-old Indonesian man jailed for 12 months, after authorities uncovered the case at a homestay in Serikin, Bau (Sarawak, Malaysia). The eggs were part of a protected species, making the offence a serious wildlife crime under Malaysian law.




The case unfolded after a tip-off led the Sarawak Forestry Corporation (SFC), Malaysian enforcement teams, and Indonesian border authorities to a lodging house near the Malaysia–Indonesia border. Officers found 2,253 turtle eggs (Cheloniidae species) packed into boxes, baskets, and plastic-wrapped containers. The suspect, an Indonesian national, was arrested at the scene, with cash, a phone, and other items also seized. Investigators believe the eggs were meant to be moved through informal border routes, taking advantage of remote crossing points. https://tinyurl.com/3y3c378u

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