The Cooperative Action (Co-ACTION) against wildlife crime project between the Office of the Supreme People’s Prosecutor (OSPP) and the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) has achieved results. The OSPP, convening local prosecutors across the country, has recognized and reached a shared understanding that:
“Wildlife crime is a serious crime connected to transnational organized crime networks and large-scale businesses and is also linked to other serious crimes such as crimes related to weapons, narcotics, human trafficking, money laundering, and terrorism.”
Wildlife crime has now been elevated to become a top priority of the prosecutors nationwide, with prosecutors to intensify the monitoring and prosecution of criminal cases involving natural resources and the environment in general, and specifically cases involving aquatic animals, wildlife, and forest resources. These must not be resolved through administrative measures but must be prosecuted, strictly following the judicial process, alongside related crimes such as money laundering. This is to ensure the implementation of the Party’s policies, state governance, and the rule of law, as well as to fulfill international treaties and conventions, such as the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).
On July 7, 2025, the President of the OSPP, issued Order No. 05/OSPP on Prosecution of Crimes Related to Natural Resources and the Environment, addressed to local and military prosecutors nationwide as follows:
1). For offenders of crimes against natural resources and the environment as specified in Articles 326–353 of the Penal Code (2017) and other relevant laws, prosecutors are strictly prohibited from coordinating with investigators to administratively adjudicate and settle cases, dismiss them, or release offenders;
2). In cases involving offenses related to natural resources and the environment, which are considered criminal offenses under the Penal Code and other laws, the Public Prosecutor shall monitor, inspect, and coordinate with the relevant authorities to conduct investigations and gather evidence in the money laundering case simultaneously in accordance with the law;
3). In cases of violations, those responsible must face strict legal consequences.
You can read the full text of the order here.