Nearly 5 Million Seized Seahorses Just 'Tip of the Iceberg' in Global Wildlife Smuggling

Authorities make astonishing discovery after opening sacks trafficked across border: 'The arrest ... is expected to be a significant development'

Local officials in India rescued hundreds of sand boas from illegal trafficking in a region known for dangerous wildlife smuggling. What happened? In the northeastern state of Assam in India, 202 sand boa snakes were found packed in sacks to be transported for sale on the black market, according to a report from the Borok Times. The local Border Security Force took custody of the reptiles and arrested two people involved in the trafficking. "Des…

Nearly five million seized seahorses just 'tip of the iceberg' in global wildlife smuggling

Close to five million smuggled seahorses worth an estimated CAD$29 million were seized by authorities over a 10-year span, according to a new study that warns the scale of the trade is far larger than current data suggest. The study analyzed online seizure records from 2010 to 2021 and found smuggling incidents in 62 countries, with dried seahorses, widely used in traditional medicine, most commonly intercepted at airports in passenger baggage o…

Nearly 5 million seized seahorses just 'tip of the iceberg' in global wildlife smuggling

Close to 5 million smuggled seahorses worth an estimated CAD$29 million were seized by authorities over a 10-year span, according to a new study that warns the scale of the trade is far larger than current data suggest.

Almost Five Million Seized Seahorses Reveal Just the “Tip of the

In an unprecedented scope, authorities have intercepted close to five million smuggled seahorses over the past decade, a figure that underscores an alarming scale of illegal wildlife trade far exceeding prior estimations. Valued at approximately CAD$29 million, these seizures reveal not only the magnitude of illicit marine trafficking but also the complex global network that facilitates the movement of such species, often hidden in plain sight w…