Crime script analysis of the illegal sales of spiny-tailed lizards on YouTube

Abstract

The oil derived from the spiny-tailed lizards (STLs) is illegally sold as an alternative medicinal aphrodisiac that is claimed to cure male sexual dysfunction in addition to other bodily ailments. The high demand generated from this illegal trade is rapidly depleting the species from its natural habitat. The goal of this research is to uncover the process of cyber-enabled illegal trade in STLs. To achieve this goal, this research uses data from a total of 127 videos and 4608 comments associated with these videos and the crime script analysis technique to outline and detail the steps taken to poach, prepare, and sell oil derived from spiny-tailed lizards (STL) and other protected wild animals on YouTube. The results indicate that sellers, operating primarily from Pakistan, employ a variety of techniques to attract buyers, such as preparing the oil by dissecting alive STL while being captured in the video to show the authenticity of the product. In addition to YouTube, sellers use other social media platforms, including WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter/X, to communicate with potential buyers and to advertise their products. These products are shipped around the world using international courier services, such as DHL and TCS, with primary markets in South Asia and the Middle East. The sellers accept money transactions from Western Union, MoneyGram, and PayPal. They also seem to operate without any major restrictions from local authorities or host social media platforms. Based on these findings, this research proposed various recommendations for policy and practice.