With environmental crime ranking as the world’s third largest illegal trade, INTERPOL has joined calls at the United for Wildlife (UfW) global summit for enhanced collective efforts against the criminal syndicates behind wildlife crime and its impact on communities and biodiversity. Poaching and trafficking undermine the rule of law and economic development. The transnational organized criminal groups that are driving the killing and extinction of species such as rhinos, elephants, big cats and endangering marine life also threaten the security and livelihood of local communities worldwide. Organized crime syndicates trafficking ivory and other illicit goods to Asia, the U.S. and Europe are often also involved in the trafficking of weapons and drugs, fueling corruption, intimidation and even murder along the supply chain. Against this context, the UfW summit (October 3-4) gathered some 300 global leaders from law enforcement agencies, conservation organizations and the private sector who reviewed pioneering work to drive policy change, support criminal investigations and shape sustained concerted action against wildlife crime. Speaking at the summit, the Prince of Wales highlighted the serious and organized nature of wildlife crime: “The illegal wildlife trade is a crime that robs us all of our most precious natural resources, funds organized crime, and the harms of which are often directly felt by the most vulnerable communities. There are still too many criminals who believe they can act with impunity, too many lives being destroyed and too many species on the brink of extinction due to this heinous crime.