Illegal ivory trade as transnational organized crime? an empirical study into ivory traders in Uganda

This article examines illegal ivory trade in Uganda, which constitutes a major transport route through which ivory exits Africa. The analysis is based on empirical data collected among illegal ivory traders between 2012 and 2017. The findings unpack the notion of illegal ivory trade as ‘transnationa...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Titeca, Kristof (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
Published: 2019
In: The British journal of criminology
Year: 2019, Volume: 59, Issue: 1, Pages: 24-44
Online Access: Presumably Free Access
Volltext (Verlag)
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Keywords:
Illegal ivory trade
Transnational organized crime
Wildlife crime
Uganda
Elfenbein
Illegaler internationaler Handel
Wildtierhandel
Description
Summary:This article examines illegal ivory trade in Uganda, which constitutes a major transport route through which ivory exits Africa. The analysis is based on empirical data collected among illegal ivory traders between 2012 and 2017. The findings unpack the notion of illegal ivory trade as ‘transnational organized crime’, by showing its reliance on local and regional connections, in which ‘nodes’ are crucial. These nodes can be both traders (such as middlemen), and locations (such as border towns), connecting these various levels. In doing so, it shows how this trade functions in a decentralized and loose fashion. There are clear power differences between the traders, which is explained through the kind of connections with government officials.
ISSN:1464-3529
DOI:10.1093/bjc/azy009