Part 2 of the Wildlife crime – understanding risks, avenues for action learning series provides companies, policy makers, practitioners and law enforcement with information and background knowledge on crime and corruption in the exotic pet trade.
3. Pet trafficking supply chain
Pet trafficking involves criminal activity across the supply chain, including during the harvest, breeding, transport, marketing and retail sale of wildlife.
The legal and illegal trade in exotic pets are closely intertwined, introducing legal, reputational and financial risks for animal-based businesses, financial and transport firms. Criminals acting in both the legal and illegal spheres, along with corrupt officials, play a key role in laundering pets into the legal trade (Outhwaite, 2020).