In this Investigator blog, one of our undercover investigators talks about the stress of maintaining an undercover identity which has a drastic impact on personal life and means you may be contacted at any time. However, the importance of undercover investigations in exposing criminal activity is a powerful reward
Using false identities and front companies, EIA’s dedicated investigators are able to successfully pass themselves off to criminals as anything from traffickers in poached ivory to traders in illegal timber – all while documenting critical evidence on hidden recording devices. Now we offer a glimpse behind the scenes
When EIA was created in 1984, its founders had a clear vision to create a nimble organisation which could pioneer a new, powerful campaigning approach based on field investigations to obtain documented evidence of crimes against nature, which could be used for positive change
The years since the UN Convention Against Corruption was adopted have seen a growing recognition of the pervasive nature of corruption which permeates all aspects of life but, unfortunately, the role corruption plays as the greatest facilitator of the illegal wildlife trade has not received the attention it demands
It can be a little frustrating (if somewhat predictable) to see our findings dismissed out-of-hand by official mouthpieces for those governments we have cause to identify as either directly promoting harmful, even criminal, environmental policies or turning a blind eye to corruption on their watch
Last September, the Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) listed the entire genus of Dalbergia – more commonly known as rosewoods or redwoods – on its Appendix II, granting the species significantly higher protection through limiting trade