The Duke of Cambridge will today launch a financial task force to disrupt international money flows linked to the illegal wildlife trade as part of a British-led diplomatic effort to end the global poaching crisis.

More than 30 international banks and financial institutions will pledge to train staff to identify and share intelligence on suspicious transactions linked to the illegal trade in elephant ivory, rhino horn, and other endangered species body parts.

They will also sign up to an intelligence sharing financial task force led by United for Wildlife, a charity run by the Royal Foundation, and chaired by William Hague, the former foreign secretary.

“Traffickers are brazenly exploiting global financial systems to move the proceeds of their crimes, remaining under the radar of investigation and law enforcement," Lord Hague said.

“Financial institutions can, therefore, play a crucial role in disrupting such criminal activities and ending the illegal wildlife trade."