Table 1 Product-based crime script for production of jaguar paste from live animals
From: The production of jaguar paste in Suriname: a product-based crime script
Stages | Steps | Location | Actor(s) | Product status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Procure | Find and kill jaguar (see Table 2) | Wilderness area, community land bordering wilderness area, or logging/mining camp | Hunter(s) | Whole carcass |
Broker | Contact local Chinese shopkeeper or roving buyer to sell carcass Contact person who ordered hunt | Community near hunting site | Hunter Middleman | Whole carcass |
Broker (2) | Identify paste processor in Paramaribo | Middleman’s community (small urban area) | Middleman | Whole carcass |
Transport | Move carcass to Paramaribo for processing, possibly switching cars along the way, using scout car to avoid law enforcement (late evening/early morning) | Road network | Middleman Driver(s) | Whole carcass |
Purchase | Sell carcass to processor | Urban area | Middleman Processor | Whole carcass |
Process | Boil carcass (meat, skin, bones) down into paste (5–7 days) Remove teeth and claws for resale | Processor home/workshop | Processor Shopkeeper | Paste (raw) Teeth, claws (separate) |
Package | Put 500Â g of paste into individual pots for sale; store in fridge or freezer | Processor home/workshop | Processor | Paste (packaged) |
Sell | Sell individual pots to members of the local Chinese community for use locally or for export | Traditional Chinese Medicine shop Home of processor | Processor Exporter Final Consumer | Paste (packaged) |
Export | Place containers in hand luggage and fly to China | International airport (Suriname) | Exporter | Paste (packaged) |
Import | Get containers through Chinese customs | International airport (China) | Exporter | Paste (packaged) |
Resale | Sell individual pots to local networks in China | Unknown | Exporter Final Consumer | Paste (packaged) |