pangolin are the most illegally traffic animal in the world . Amid monolithic new exploit to hold the black marketplace ’s appetite for this shy - look creature , Thai authorities have seized a catch of pangolin scales weighing a amount of almost 3 t ( 3.3 US tons ) .

The Mass of anteater scales were stuffed into 34 packages found in an aircraft cargo depot at the Thai chapiter ’s great airdrome in December . The heaps of scales were display by Thai custom officials on Thursday after X - shaft bring out the contraband depicted object of the packages . official conceive they originated from the Democratic Republic of Congo , then   smuggle through Turkey , and break off en itinerary to an organized   dispersion racquet in Laos .

Customs Department chief Kulit Sombatsiri differentiate theBangkok Postthat it would have lead at least 6,000 scaly anteater to gather this many scales . The $ 20 - billion - a - year line for the scales largely comes from China and Vietnam , where customer buy the scales for around £ 1,100 per kilogram .

There ’s eight species of scaly anteater in the world , four in Africa and four in Asia . Although the scales are simply made out of keratin , the small stuff human fingernail and hair is made out of , there ’s a long - held opinion in southeasterly Asia that the scales hold some medicinal purpose , such asenhancing intimate performanceand even cure cancer . Of course , there ’s literally zeropeer - reviewedscientific grounds behind this .

For now , Thai police force are skip to trace the money back and find those behind this massive shipping . As for anteater , the fortunes of this peculiarly precious beast might be changing .

The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species ( CITES ) nem con agreed ona total prohibition on the international tradeof all eight species of pangolin late last class .   Thanks to this   ban ,   which make out into effective 27 April 2025 ,   authority are now armed with fresh weapons to harness the felon overwork the animal . Only meter will tell if this is enough to work over the billion dollar demand for their shell .