There are also no strict laws against illegal wildlife trade per se as compared to drug or human trafficking. For example, in Malaysia , the maximum penalty for drug trafficking is death but the maximum penalty for wildlife trade is a fine of $5000. Furthermore, even if any arrests are made, it is often not the high rank masterminds of criminal syndicates that are caught but rather the desolate poachers or smugglers. The root of the problem is still not abolished when these individuals are getting away scoot-free and they can simply hire new individuals to continue the cycle of crime.
Moreover, as shown in the video above, rules are often flouted. For example, in Vietnam, the sales of Rhino horns was actually banned throughout the country more than 8 years ago. However, when BBC reporter Sue Llyod Roberts went undercover in Hanoi, she still found many traders who were willing to sell it to her even though it means defying the law. The same fate can only be said for other endangered species.
Photo Credits: http://www.alixpartners.com/en/Publications/AllArticles/tabid/635/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/345/2012-Global-Anti-Corruption-Survey.aspx#sthash.oDhtrbhA.dpbs
Not only is there a lack of strict regulations, there is also rampant corruption in SE Asia, which is no help to the situation at all. More often than not, we find instances where bills are talking louder than regulations. There are government officials who can be easily bribed, or are even in cahoots with smugglers (they are “friends”), and this only further worsens the extent of illegal wildlife trade. With an absence of an effective legal deference and honest officials, this might just be the reason why traders remain so bold and undaunted.
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