This work uses social network analysis (SNA) to compare the trafficking of Indian star tortoises and softshell turtles from India. Each of these species are in demand for the illegal pet and meat trade respectively. Metrics of SNA indicated potentially higher levels of organization involved in the trafficking of Indian star tortoises as compared to softshell turtles. In addition, we found that few nodes in both networks played a disproportionately important role in the overall trade flow.

1. Network analysis of trafficking in tortoises and freshwater turtles
(TFT) representing different types of demand
From pets to plates
Ramya Roopa S

2. ● Live wildlife -> reptiles -> turtles and
tortoises amongst the most trafficked
● Turtles and tortoises
○ > 50 % VU, EN, CR
○ Eggs, meat, pet & traditional
medicines
● Asian turtle crisis
○ India a major source country
Illegal TFT trade
Lau & Shi, 2000

3. Intelligence-led
investigations
Stoner & Shepherd, 2020
Seizure hotspots
Mendiratta et al., 2017
Field surveys
D’Cruze et al., 2015
Approaches

4. Social Network Analysis: Patel et al., 2015; Cheng et al., 2017; Haas, & Ferreira,
2018; Indraswari et al., 2020; Huang et al., 2020
Patel et al., 2015 Haas & Ferreira, 2018 Indraswari et al., 2020
Approaches

5. • Compare district-level trafficking of two highly trafficked TFT taxa –
Indian star tortoises and softshell turtles (all Indian species of family
Trionychidae) representing different demand types
• Identify priority hubs and trafficking routes for enforcement
interventions
Objectives

6. Seizures in or
originating from
India involving
native TFT species
n=268
Species ID
verification
With last transit or
source or
destination
locations
n=49
With last transit or
source or
destination
locations
n=61
Media-reported
seizures
(2013-2019)
Live Indian star
tortoises (IST)
n=71
Live Softshell
turtles
n=102
Methods

7. Degree centrality
- In-degree
- Out-degree
Strength centrality
- In-strength
- Out-strength
Betweenness centrality
Key player - Fragmentation
a
c
b
d
e
f
SNA - Node level

8. Centralization
- In-degree
- Out-degree
- Betweenness
Mean degree
Reciprocity
Link density
Cmax : maximum observed centrality
score
Cni : centrality score of node ni
Denominator: Theoretical maximum
possible sum of differences
SNA - Network level

9. Network-level metrics

10. Highest ranking
nodes
Key sets of nodes with
highest fragmentation
index
Node-level metrics

11. v

12. Highest ranking
nodes
Key sets of nodes with
highest fragmentation
index
Node-level metrics

14. ● Higher level of organization in IST trafficking than softshell?
○ Large no. of international trafficking links
○ Predominance of air route in ISTs vs. road and rail for softshell turtles
○ Bi-directional trafficking (sometimes long and illogical routes) in ISTs vs.
unidirectional trafficking in softshell turtles
● Asymmetric roles and points of convergence with IWT in other species?
○ IST: Chennai & Kolkata - collection points for other pet TFT species - Ex. Spotted
black terrapins (Chng, 2014; Leupen, 2018)
○ Softshell turtles: no observed change in key source locations or predominant mode of
transport since 1990’s (Chowdhury and Bhupathy, 1993)
Discussion

15. ● What does this mean for enforcement and policy?
○ No single ‘TFT’ trafficking so no single response; within TFTs networks may
differ by product or type of demand
○ Focused enforcement efforts in key nodes:
■ Transportation facilities: Key source and transit nodes
■ Points of entry and sale: Key destination nodes
■ Investigation: other infrastructure facilities that facilitate IWT
● Limitations
○ Inherent biases in use of media reports
○ Undetected or unregistered nodes or links due to clandestine nature of IWT
Discussion

16. ● Characteristics - key locations and trafficking routes
○ prediction of new hotspots and ‘crime displacement’
● Complementary use of offender-based trafficking networks and
location-based trafficking networks for different products, species
○ Comparative approach!
● Dynamic analysis of networks
○ Detect temporal changes in network structure and MO
Gaps & opportunities

17. 1. Cheng, W., Xing, S., & Bonebrake, T. C. (2017). Recent pangolin seizures in China reveal priority areas for intervention. Conservation Letters,
10(6), 757-764.
2. Chng, S.C.L (2014).Escalating Black Spotted Turtle Geoclemys hamiltonii trade in Asia:a study of seizures. TRAFFIC, Petaling Jaya Selangor,
Malaysia
3. Choudhury, B. C., & Bhupathy, S. (1993). Turtle Trade in India. A Study of Tortoises and Freshwater Turtles. WWF-India (TRAFFIC-India), New
Delhi.
4. D'Cruze, N., Singh, B., Morrison, T., Schmidt-Burbach, J., Macdonald, D. W., & Mookerjee, A. (2015). A star attraction: The illegal trade in Indian
Star Tortoises. Nature Conservation, 13, 1.
5. Haas, T. C., & Ferreira, S. M. (2015). Federated databases and actionable intelligence: Using social network analysis to disrupt transnational
wildlife trafficking criminal networks. Security Informatics, 4(1), 1-14.
6. Huang, W., Wang, H., & Wei, Y. (2020). Mapping the Illegal International Ivory Trading Network to Identify Key Hubs and Smuggling Routes.
EcoHealth, 17(4), 523-539.
7. Indraswari, K., Friedman, R. S., Noske, R., Shepherd, C. R., Biggs, D., Susilawati, C., & Wilson, C. (2020). It's in the news: Characterising
Indonesia's wild bird trade network from media-reported seizure incidents. Biological Conservation, 243, 108431.
8. Lau, M., & Shi, H. T. (2000). Conservation and trade of terrestrial and freshwater turtles and tortoises in the People’s Republic of China.
Chelonian Research Monographs, 2, 30-38.
9. Leupen, B.T. C. (2018). Black Spotted Turtle in Asia II: A Seizure Analysis. TRAFFIC, Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia.
10. Mendiratta, U., Sheel, V., & Singh, S. (2017). Enforcement seizures reveal large-scale illegal trade in India's tortoises and freshwater turtles.
Biological Conservation, 207, 100-105.
11. Patel, N. G., Rorres, C., Joly, D. O., Brownstein, J. S., Boston, R., Levy, M. Z., & Smith, G. (2015). Quantitative methods of identifying the key nodes
in the illegal wildlife trade network. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 112(26), 7948-7953.
12. Stoner, S. S., & Shepherd, C. (2020). Using intelligence to tackle the criminal elements of the illegal trade in Indian Star Tortoises Geochelone
elegans in Asia. Global Ecology and Conservation, 23, e01097.
References

18. ● Many thanks to the contributing authors (team members of the Counter
Wildlife Trafficking program) of this paper:
○ Aristo Mendis
○ Nazneen Sultan
○ Shivira Shukla
○ Anirban Chaudhuri
○ Uttara Mendiratta
● Sahila Kudalkar, Ex-Program Lead, Counter Wildlife Trafficking
Acknowledgements

19. Thank you for listening!
Questions? Comments?
Contact: ramyu.wildlife94@gmail.com
ramyaroopa@wcsindia.org
@ramyaroopa3