Interpol has cracked down on wildlife and timber trafficking networks around the world.

Interpol and the World Customs Organization, or WCO, spent most of October cooperating with relevant authorities in 125 countries to thwart illegal transactions, under an operation code-named "Thunder 2022."

Interpol said nearly 2,200 items -- over double the amount of a year earlier -- were seized. More than 930 suspects were identified.

The clampdown at an airport in Thailand resulted in the seizure of 81 turtles whose trade is banned under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, or CITES.

The turtles were tucked in snack bags inside a passenger's luggage.

About 1,200 reptiles, including iguanas and lizards, were packed in cardboard boxes brought in from Malaysia at an airport in India.

WCO Secretary General Mikuriya Kunio said the coronavirus pandemic has sped up digitalization, leading to various means of trafficking.

He called on the international community to cooperate closely to protect rare plants and animals.