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Recently, the India Customs seized an 18-tonne shipment of red sandalwood destined for the United Arab Emirates, during a month-long “Operation Thunder 2020”, coordinated by the Interpol and the World Customs Organisation
About operation Thunder
- “Operation Thunder 2020” is the fourth in a series of “Thunder” operations carried out annually since 2017.
- It is coordinated by Interpol and the World Customs Organisation.
- It involves law enforcement agencies in 103 countries
- The member countries concentrated primarily on protected species under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora.
- This year’s series of operation against environmental crime was held from September 14 to October 11.
- It resulted in large seizures of protected wildlife and forestry specimens and products, triggering arrests and investigations worldwide
About Interpol
- The International Criminal Police Organisation (INTERPOL) is an international organization that facilitates worldwide police cooperation and crime control.
- It is headquartered in Lyon, France.
- It has seven regional bureaus worldwide and a National Central Bureau (NCB) in all 194 member states, making it the world’s largest police organization.
- India has been a member since 1956.
Source: The Hindu
