Press Release
Wildlife Justice Commission & Elephant Action League announce partnership for wildlife crime investigations via WildLeaks
The Hague, 28 April 2016: The Wildlife Justice Commission and Elephant Action League announce a new partnership, to use WildLeaks to share information, inform investigations and enhance existing efforts in combatting global wildlife crime.

Providing evidence of wildlife crimes to investigations can be risky for individuals on the ground or within authorities and criminal organizations. WildLeaks’ secure online platform, built on Tor technology, provides a safe, anonymous, space for reporting wildlife crime.

This new partnership will enable leads via WildLeaks to be extrapolated across Wildlife Justice Commission’s investigations, potentially leading to crucial new lines of enquiry and identification of corruption points in transnational organized criminal wildlife networks.

On the eve of the largest ivory burn in history (Nairobi, 30 April 2016) it is clear that tackling wildlife crime has never been so urgent. This partnership is another step in the co-operative global approach taken by both organizations in adding another dimension to existing efforts to combat global wildlife crime.

Andrea Crosta, Supervisory Board, Wildlife Justice Commission, and Founder of WildLeaks, said: “Having been involved in the establishment and design of both organizations, I believe the natural synergies are clear. A single tip-off via WildLeaks may inform the direction of a global criminal network investigation by the Wildlife Justice Commission. Small fry very often leads to bigger players – this is a partnership we hope will help bring even more wildlife criminals to account.”

Olivia Swaak-Goldman, Executive Director, Wildlife Justice Commission, said: “The one constant within our wildlife crime investigations is corruption. It is endemic to, and plays a facilitating role in, enabling transnational organiszed wildlife crime. We need whistle-blowers to help reveal evidence of such corruption but this is often a career-limiting or life-endangering request. Having a safe place for individuals to report wildlife crime, and the accompanying corruption, anonymously through WildLeaks, without fear of recrimination, will provide our investigations with potentially vital additional information”.

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NOTES TO EDITORS

Wildlife Justice Commission:

 _An international not-for-profit organisation based in The Hague, NL, and operating globally to disrupt transnational, organised wildlife crime.

 _Through leveraging the rule of law and the power of investigation, to expose criminal networks and the corruption that enables them to flourish; helping to ensure governments effectively enforce their laws.

Media| E: media@wildlifejustice.org | T: +31 70 205 1050 | @WJCommission | wildlifejustice.org

 _Our scope encompasses illegal trade by organised transnational criminal networks in endangered wildlife species, timber and fisheries.

 _More information via wildlifejustice.org

WildLeaks:

 _The world’s first initiative for wildlife crime whistle-blowers, providing a secure online platform for anonymous reporting of wildlife and forest crime.

 _Created and run by the Elephant Action League (EAL), an innovative hybrid non-profit organization that merges the worlds of intelligence, investigations and conservation in service of wildlife and the people who protect it.

Media| E: info@earthleagueinternational.org | @elephantleague | @WildLeaks I  www.wildleaks.org