In September 2023, Teo Boon Ching, the so-called "Godfather" of wildlife trafficking in Southeast Asia, was sentenced to 18 months in prison by a US court. For over two decades, Teo operated as a specialist transporter and middleman in a vast transnational criminal network, moving rhino horns, elephant ivory, and pangolin scales from Africa to Asian markets. His sophisticated smuggling methods included concealing elephant tusks in nylon bags hidden within shipping containers filled with at least eight tons of beans or peanuts, using owned rather than rented containers to avoid scrutiny, and leveraging connections with local authorities to facilitate transit through Malaysian ports. According to the Environmental Investigation Agency, Teo charged between RM500-800 ($110-175 USD) per kilogram for his services – a shipment of elephant ivory could earn him RM800,000 ($175,000 USD) in fees alone. His 2022 arrest in Bangkok and subsequent extradition to the US represented a rare instance of successfully targeting a high-level operator in wildlife trafficking networks. Despite some conservation experts considering the 18-month sentence lenient given the scale of his operations, which included involvement in the largest seizure of pangolin scales and ivory in Hong Kong SAR's history in 2017, the case highlights the importance of international cooperation when it comes to prosecuting wildlife crime and disrupting the operational capacity of organised criminal networks involved in the illegal wildlife trade.