Lax airport checks make illegal wildlife trafficking easier

© Tom Dowd | Dreamstime.com - Poachers camp in Africa

Lax airport authorities are allowing wildlife traffickers to get away with murder – all too literally. A new report produced by research organisation C4ADS claims traffickers are “highly dependent” on commercial air transport systems to smuggle the endangered species and animal parts that they sell. Illicit Trade, citing the report, notes that these traffickers “typically” rely on the world’s major hub airports. So C4ADS has called on airports to step up their efforts to identify and prosecute guilty parties. In particular, it says, the airports need to focus as much on screening for contraband as they do on security.