News

Viet Nam Customs successfully organized a national workshop on illegal wildlife trade and risk management

Summary

In the framework of cooperation with the World Customs Organization, from 19-23 January 2026, the National Workshop on illegal wildlife trade and Risk Management was held at the headquarters of the Regional Customs Branch III, in Hai Phong City.

Updated on : 03-02-2026

In the framework of cooperation with the World Customs Organization, from 19-23 January 2026, the National Workshop on illegal wildlife trade and Risk Management was held at the headquarters of the Regional Customs Branch III, in Hai Phong City. The workshop was organized by Viet Nam Customs, in collaboration with the World Customs Organization (WCO) and the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol).

Participants included expert groups from the WCO and Interpol, along with Customs officials responsible for risk management and customs enforcement from Viet Nam Customs and representatives from the Ministry of Public Security of Vietnam.

In their opening remarks, Mrs. Truong Binh An, Deputy Director of the Regional Customs Branch III and Mr. Igor Jakupic, WCO Programme Officer and ICCWC (the International Consortium on Combating Wildlife Trade) Project manager emphasized that in the context of increasingly complex illegal trafficking of wildlife and wildlife products worldwide, with sophisticated methods and tactics, strengthening the capacity of specialized officials, as well as enhancing information/intelligence exchange, cooperation and coordination among government agencies and with regional and international partners is critically important. Therefore, the workshop provided an opportunity for Customs and Police officials not only to learn from international experts, but also to promote national and international cooperation and coordination, thereby contributing to improving the effectiveness of combating illegal wildlife trafficking.

(Mrs. Truong Binh An, Deputy Director of the Regional Customs Branch III delivered her opening remark)

This workshop is part of a series of capacity-building activities of the WCO for its members, aiming to promote effective participation and implementation of programs, activities and enforcement operations within the framework of the WCO Environment Programme. Regarding cooperation in customs enforcement field within the framework of cooperation with the WCO, Viet Nam Customs has been assessed as a member making positive contributions to the implementation of WCO initiatives and operations, notably co-hosting the Mekong Dragon Operation on combating illegal drug and wildlife trafficking and participating in global customs enforcement Operations coordinated by the WCO such as Operation Thunder on combating illegal wildlife trafficking, Operation Demeter on combating illegal trafficking of hazardous substances to the environment…

During the workshop, expert groups and delegates discussed and conducted practical exercises on several key topics, including: Intelligence driven risk management-based approach to combat IWT; Identifying emerging threats and methods of wildlife trafficking via air modality, land modality and sea modality; Collecting and analyzing data from various sources, including trade data, national customs databases, intelligence reports and open-source information; Developing risk indicators, risk profiles and identifying key routes, commodities and targets; International experience in using tools and information from the WCO and Interpol in gathering information/intelligence for investigation and prosecution.

Through case studies and group discussions, delegates had opportunities to learn from experts as well as to share practical experiences and challenges encountered in their daily tasks and to seek solutions in order to strengthen coordination among Customs, Police and other agencies in combating illegal wildlife trafficking.

Implementing enforcement activities to combat the illegal wildlife trade is one of the efforts of Viet Nam Customs to fully implement its commitments under the CITES Convention.

Thúy Hằng