Illegal product manufacturing and exportation from Pakistan: Revealing the factuality of highly processed wildlife skin samples via DNA mini-barcoding.

Illegal trade is a major threat to the biodiversity and the efforts initiated for the conservation of wildlife. The shortcomings of the traditional taxonomic identification methods have been coped by a revolutionary and emerging technique, the "DNA (Deoxyribonucleic Acid) barcoding". Here we report a case of trader who was allegedly making footwear for a famous international celebrity from wild animal cutis. The samples confiscated during a raid on a footwear manufacturing industry by KP Wildlife department in August, 2016, were received by Bioresource Research Centre (BRC) for molecular identification on 1 September, 2016. The study costed about USD 88 from processing to the identification of the samples. The samples identified via DNA mini-barcoding by targeting cytochrome oxidase I (COI) gene belong to Gazella bennettii and Bos taurus. Such studies are helpful for credible investigations that only lead to effective prosecution and control of illegal wildlife trade ultimately helping in conservation of wild animals.