Part 9/12:
Seizures alone cannot stop this black market. Smugglers often operate through complex networks involving multiple layers: from harvesters, middlemen, to international traders. Many are not the masterminds but mules—low-level couriers who bear the risk of arrest and prosecution. Tackling the root causes involves going after financial assets and dismantling organized syndicates.
Efforts to combat illegal wildlife trade are uneven across languages and platforms. Social media giants like Facebook, Tencent, and Alibaba are trying to crack down on wildlife sales but face challenges in monitoring multilingual content and in enforcement consistency.