First Reward Announced for Information on Transnational Organized Criminals
On November 13, Secretary Kerry offered a reward of up to $1 million for information leading to the dismantling of the Xaysavang Network, a transnational wildlife trafficking syndicate based in Laos. The reward, the first under INL’s Transnational Organized Crime Rewards Program (TOCRP), is meant to disrupt the illicit trade of wildlife, estimated at $8-10 billion per year.
Profits from wildlife trafficking fund other illicit activities such as narcotics, arms, and human trafficking, and the Xaysavang Network is among the most prolific illicit traders of wildlife.
The Xaysavang Network has affiliates in South Africa, Mozambique, Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, and China. Its activities facilitate the killing of elephants, rhinos, and other species for products such as ivory.
Sophisticated transnational criminal organizations like the Xaysavang Network perpetuate corruption, threaten the rule of law and border security in fragile regions, and destabilize communities that depend on wildlife for biodiversity and eco-tourism.
On January 15, 2013 President Obama signed the TOCRP into law as a means of countering the increased global reach and sophistication of today's criminals. Identifying and dismantling organized criminal groups that operate across borders is very difficult. Obviously, critical information on the transnational criminals, such as financial data, will help law enforcement uncover this criminal activity.
U.S. missions, especially those located in Asia and Africa, are encouraged to disseminate this reward offer to applicable contacts. Information on the Xaysavang Network, including its members or its illegal activities, may contact the rewards hotline in Laos at +856 21 219565 or by email at TOCRP-Xaysavang@state.gov.
The United States will ensure confidentiality to individuals who provide information on transnational criminals, and, if appropriate, will relocate these individuals and their families. Rewards and amounts will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
