India, Feb. 21 -- A new global report by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) has identified at least 74 countries to be involved in illegal pangolin trade through 178 unique trade routes.

The new CITES report, Conservation Status, Trade and Enforcement Efforts for Pangolins, revealed that Nigeria to Viet Nam was the most used illegal trade route by quantity, with an estimated 82,215 whole pangolin equivalents detected. Transport was primarily by sea (accounting for 61,166 equivalents) and air.

Mozambique to Malawi was the most frequent illegal trade route, used 44 times during the study period, primarily for transporting live pangolins via land. Cameroon to Europe was another frequ...