I've come across a few cases of striped hyenas being smuggled in the Middle East, e.g.:

http://jordantimes.com/news/local/illegal-hunting-trade-wild-animals-cut-half-2017

https://www.arabianbusiness.com/15-baboons-2-hyenas-seized-from-abu-dhabi-house-270202.html

If you consider Russia part of Asia, there are some cases when this species being offered as a pet. Possible, all from same dealer or breader.

http://drug2.ru/view219765.html

http://drug2.ru/view199830.html

http://1000dosok.ru/doski.php?n=1962067&r=12-02

http://www.lesruk.net/cat/bog/obyav/id_965858/rid_213/giena_polosataya_pyatn.html

https://pikabu.ru/story/polosatyie_gienyi_v_kvartirnyikh_usloviyakh_3965951

Beautiful question and great answers

I wish you success in the service of humanity and science

In south-eastern Turkey hyenas might be killed for their pelt which is used by drug smugglers to hide the drugs in. They think that detection dogs are either not able to smell the drugs inside the hyena pelts or are scared of the smell of the hyena. I don't think that neither of these arguments are true but people believe in it. In addition they are treated as pets in middle east and mostly caught live and sold to the zoos or private collections or houses. They are also hunted for their meat by certain ethnic groups.