The Tokay Gecko (Gekko gecko), known locally as Keko Saap, is one of the most striking and misunderstood reptiles found in South and Southeast Asia. Recognized for its vivid blue-grey body with orange spots and its echoing “to-kay” call, this gecko has become the target of an expanding illegal wildlife trade. Fuelled by superstition, pseudoscience, and black-market demand, the trade in Tokay Geckos continues to threaten their survival.

Recent Crackdown in Assam

In a major breakthrough, the Special Task Force (STF) of Assam Police on April 11 seized 11 rare Tokay Geckos in the Dibrugarh district and arrested three traffickers. Acting on intelligence from the Wildlife Justice Commission (South Asia Office), the STF in coordination with Dibrugarh district police laid a trap in the Mohanbari area, eventually nabbing the suspects at Sun Feast Dhaba in Mohanbari Tiniali.

The arrested traffickers - Debashis Dohutia (34), Manash Dohutia (28), and Dipankar Gharphalia (40) - were found with a red backpack containing the geckos. They had arrived in a white car and motorcycle, both of which were seized during the operation.

Each Tokay Gecko was allegedly valued at ₹60 lakh, illustrating the staggering black-market valuation driven by false claims of its medicinal and research use.Tokay Geckos are typically caught using flashlights to locate them at night, baited traps, or by disturbing their natural habitats, with poachers leveraging local knowledge of their roosting spots. While effective, these methods often cause injuries or stress to geckos, leading to high mortality rates and significant ecological disruption.If not apprehended, the traffickers would likely have smuggled the Tokay Geckos through undetected routes or cross-border transit points to neighboring countries like Myanmar or Bangladesh, where demand for the reptiles is high. The geckos could have been concealed in vehicles, cargo shipments, or even hidden compartments, with traffickers using remote or porous border areas to evade detection. Additionally, online dark web marketplaces could serve as platforms to arrange sales, and airlines or courier services might be used for international smuggling, often hidden within legitimate shipments to avoid scrutiny.Payments for smuggled Tokay Geckos are typically made through illicit channels, often involving digital currencies or untraceable bank transfers to avoid detection by authorities. In some cases, cash payments are exchanged at meet-up points or through third-party intermediaries to maintain anonymity. Online platforms in the dark web or encrypted messaging apps also facilitate secure, anonymous transactions between buyers and sellers, ensuring the payment process remains hidden from authorities.

The Myths Fueling the Trade

The geckos are falsely believed to possess anti-asthma and anti-cancer properties and are rumored to be used in space research—none of which have been backed by credible scientific studies. These myths have taken strong root across parts of China, Vietnam, and Southeast Asia, and have now influenced black-market activity in Northeast India.

Conservation Status & Legal Framework

The Tokay Gecko is listed under Appendix II of CITES, which regulates its trade to prevent threats to its survival, and is protected under Schedule III of India’s Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, making its trade or possession illegal without authorization and punishable by up to three years of imprisonment and/or a fine under Indian law.

Northeast India: A Trafficking Hotspot

The forests of Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, and Nagaland are home to natural populations of the Tokay Gecko. Due to economic vulnerabilities, many locals are unknowingly pulled into trafficking rings under the promise of large payouts. The recent Dibrugarh incident highlights how organized networks are exploiting these communities and operating across state and national borders.

Challenges in Enforcement

The illegal trade in Tokay Geckos persists due to a lack of awareness in rural communities about its ecological impact and legal consequences, poor monitoring along porous borders with countries like Myanmar and Bangladesh, and insufficient regulation of online and dark web wildlife marketplaces, which traffickers exploit to evade detection.

What’s Being Done

Efforts to curb Tokay Gecko trafficking have intensified through frequent enforcement operations like the recent STF crackdown, supported by bodies such as the Wildlife Justice Commission, alongside public awareness campaigns educating communities about the gecko’s ecological role, rehabilitation and release of rescued geckos back into the wild, and increased cross-border collaboration to tackle transnational wildlife crime driven by demand from neighboring countries.

Why It Matters

Beyond the folklore, Tokay Geckos are crucial pest controllers in forest ecosystems. Their disappearance could disturb local biodiversity and lead to pest overpopulation. Conserving this species means preserving ecological balance, and more importantly, ending a chain of wildlife crime fueled by ignorance and greed.

The recent success by Assam Police in disrupting an illegal wildlife trade network is a reminder of the need for vigilance, awareness, and policy enforcement. Saving the Tokay Gecko is not just about protecting a lizard—it's about stopping the commodification of wildlife, one rescue at a time.