Inside the secret Laos shops selling pangolin scales, bear bile and tiger bones to tourists

An underground market for illegal wildlife products is operating in Laos, specifically targeting tourists arriving via the new cross-border railway from China. Investigators recently gained access to various shops that appear to sell common goods like tea and coffee, but instead serve as fronts for the sale of ivory, tiger bones, bear bile, and pangolin scales.

The scale of this trade is significant. Pangolins are now the most trafficked mammal in the world, with poaching rates surpassing those of rhinos, elephants, and tigers combined. Despite having no scientific evidence to support medical efficacy, these products remain in high demand within certain traditional medicine markets. Traders often misinform visitors, claiming these items are legal or that buying them helps the local Lao economy.

Evidence gathered by researchers indicates that tour operators play a central role in this process. Many low-cost tour groups are marketed to elderly travelers, with itineraries intentionally routed through these restricted shops. The transactions are processed via mobile payment platforms, ensuring the proceeds bypass local communities and instead flow directly back into the hands of organized crime networks.

Conservation groups in Vientiane report an increase in the number of pangolins appearing in the city, far from their natural habitats. Rescue centers are seeing more frequent intakes of these animals, including infants, after they are seized from restaurants or shops. This shift highlights the pressure these species face as tourism infrastructure expands.

While international agreements like the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora prohibit the sale of these body parts, enforcement remains difficult. The combination of high-speed transport infrastructure and deceptive sales tactics creates an environment where these criminal networks operate with relative ease.