Schiphol a transit port for illegal jaguar trade, say wildlife organizations

Wildlife organizations claim that Schiphol Airport is a major transit port for criminal organizations that ship jaguar products from Suriname to China. The big cats are increasingly poached in South America for their teeth, bones and other body parts, reported Earth League International (ELI), the civil society organization that aims to combat this illegal trade.

According to the organization, the Dutch airport is not controlled strictly enough. Luggage is transferred from one plane to another without first passing through a scanner, the researchers wrote in a new report, in which the conservation organization IUCN Netherlands also contributed. Recently, the two wildlife organizations identified 75 individuals involved in the trade of jaguar products and discovered the role of the Schiphol Airport.The Amsterdam Airport has responded to the researchers, assuring them that all luggage from Suriname is indeed scanned.

Since 1957, it has been illegal to hunt jaguars. Nevertheless, the number of animals killed has increased in recent years, according to ELI. The criminal organizations that trade in the animal are often involved in other illegal activities such as drug trafficking, money laundering, and human smuggling.

The canines of jaguars are coveted in China, among other places, for jewelry or for their purported healing powers. According to ELI, wine made from the bones is also popular among Chinese living in Suriname, as well as in surrounding countries, and in Europe. In addition, the "jaguar paste" is said to be used against health complaints or to increase sexual potency.