What are the efforts to prevent smuggling of “cocaine of the sea” that Chinese mafia and drug organizations are aiming for?
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It is said that it is more expensive than gold, and it is called `` ocean cocaine ' ' because Chinese mafia and Mexican drug traffickers aim all together, the world's smallest whale `` Kogashira porpoise '' and ` ` Totoaba '' with the fish swim bladder (bladder). An attempt is being made to break down the supply chain, revealing the actual situation of smuggling of “cocaine of the sea” that would catch the fisherman's annual income if he caught several fish overnight.
The Ugly War Over the 'Cocaine of the Sea'
https://www.thedailybeast.com/the-ugly-war-over-the-cocaine-of-the-sea
White-tailed dolphins and Totoaba inhabit the Gulf of California on the west coast of Mexico, and their sharks are treated as high-quality food, and have recently become targets for drug organizations and heavily armed poachers. In both cases, the number of poaching has decreased and the number of individuals has decreased. As of 2019, there are only 15 dolphins in the Gulf of California as of 2019.
Andrea Krosta, co-founder of Earth League International , a wildlife conservation organization, began investigating Totoaba smugglers in Baja California three years ago to save the white-tailed dolphins from extinction. did. The research team quickly determined that the problem was not just “poaching by poor fishermen” but a criminal organization that engaged in money laundering.
The investigation team impersonated a Chinese smuggler, posing as an illegal buyer. Mr. Krosta secretly recorded a place where a Chinese contractor explains how to use Totoaba for money laundering, but according to the video, $ 1 billion (about 110 billion yen) of laundered money every year Are sent to China, and some are again being used to invest in illegal activities. Such smuggling involves China's mafia and local drug traffickers in Mexico, and criminals use threats and bribes to quickly make money at low risk.
According to the research team, the price of Totoaba spear in China is $ 50 per gram (about 5300 yen), which is more expensive than gold. This allows fishers in the Gulf of California to earn more than their annual income by simply picking up a few Totoabas overnight.
This is Totoaba's trap.
Despite billions of dollars spent by governments and NGOs, wildlife poaching, illegal trafficking and illegal logging have not been eradicated over the past few years, and criminals have always been law enforcement agencies. Go one step ahead.
And illegal supply chains tend to focus on “poachers” and “consumers” in many cases, and the complex system of environmental crime in between is not noticed. These supply chain middle tiers include criminal organizations from different countries, businessmen, and corrupt government officials.
In response to the history of “many previous approaches have failed”, Krosta and his colleagues took the approach of disrupting Totoava's supply chain. Crosta says that this has prevented poaching on the west coast of California and prevented the extinction of the white-tailed porpoise.
The state of the battle over the sea cocaine has been compiled by National Geographic as the documentary film “
Sea of Shadows Official Trailer | National Geographic-YouTube
An infrared camera captures a ship on the midnight sea.
Poachers are on this ship.
Totoaba is caught on the net.
Behind the Chinese smugglers there are a large number of bags.
And in Mexico ...
Members of the drug organization aiming at Totoaba and the gray porpoise.
The white-tailed dolphin is shown in the photo.
Hundreds of white-tailed dolphins once lived on the west coast of California, but as of 2019 the number has dropped to 15.
Staff who carry out conservation activities for the white-tailed dolphins.
While cooperating with the government and TV stations ...
Krosta and his team will be approaching “Totoaba's
The fight with criminal organizations is fierce.
'If we don't save the white-tailed dolphins, we will lose the most beautiful sea in the world.'
'We fight for one creature'
The documentary film 'Sea of Shadows' is directed by Richard Laccani and producer is Leonardo DiCaprio , and is released nationwide on July 12, 2019.
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