Officials in India have seized over 400 kilograms of pangolin scales and arrested two suspects within a week’s time.
Business Standard reported earlier this week that Customs officials seized over 63 kg of pangolin scales from a house in Aizawl (in the Mizoram province at the Myanmar border) belonging to “K Manga”, whom was arrested for the crime.
Apparently, the suspect admitted that a man named “Padawnga” had hired him to take the scales to Myanmar.
This, after five kilos of pangolin scales were seized and two suspects arrested in the neighboring province of Manipur the week prior.
And just days ago, another haul of over 386 kg of pangolin scales were confiscated by authorities in Aizawl.
In this instance, News Track India claims officials arrested 41 year-old Lalchungnunga, who apparently told authorities that the scales had been collected in South India and were also bound for Myanmar.
It is unclear if the two cases are related.
It’s believed that more than 1,260 kilograms of scales have been seized in at least five countries around the globe so far this year — an amount that likely represents no less than 900-1,260 individual pangolins.
Myanmar a superhighway for pangolin smuggling
Traffickers frequently use Myanmar as a transit route for smuggling wildlife, drugs, and firearms to China and other countries, as was explained by an official in a News Track India report on the recent busts.
“Via Myanmar, the scales are smuggled to China, Taiwan, Hong Kong and South Korea,” a custom official said.
While Myanmar serves as such an important smuggling route, few if any pangolin-related arrests or seizures are made there.
In fact, there have not been any media reports on any such instances there in 2012.
Pangolins in crisis
It’s believed as many as 10,000-13,000 pangolins have been captured and smuggled out of the wild in just the first seven month so this year.
In East and Southeast Asian consumer countries — chiefly Vietnam and China — scaly anteaters’ flesh is consumed as a delicacy (and for perceived health benefits, such as kidney nourishment), while their scales (and blood and other body parts) are used to create traditional Chinese medicine concoctions.
These “cure-all remedies” are superstitiously used to treat a variety of ailments, including reducing swelling, improving liver function, promoting weight loss, stimulating blood circulation, enhancing lactation in lactation in breast-feeding women.
Profiteers have even fallaciously been claimed these potions can cure cancer.
The animals’ scales are primarily composed of keratin, the same protein that comprises rhino horns and our own nails — and in fact, peer-reviewed laboratory studies have proven rhino horn to be void of any curative, medicinal properties.
It appears that China’s extremely controversial ‘medicinal-use pangolin farms‘ have been stimulating the demand for these illegal products in much the same way that tiger and bear bile farms have encouraged illegal plundering of those imperiled creatures around the world.
Author: Sarah Pappin. Read more about Sarah here.
Image by Joxerra Aihartza via Wikimedia Commons, adapted by author
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