Pangolin survival: How 'following the money' could save lives

In most cases involving the illegal wildlife trade, convictions are secured by proving possession of animals, or their parts. These are crimes that often result in only minimal penalties - fines and short prison sentences - making it a relatively low-risk activity. It often remains the case that "success" is measured in terms of yearly figures for seizures of banned wildlife products. This contrasts sharply with other international crimes, such as drug-trafficking, where financial investigations and the seizure of money and other assets are priorities.