Star Tortoise Smugglers Shifting Focus to Bangladesh
by P. Oppili The Hindu, 9/2/10
Star tortoise smugglers, who were earlier operating through the ports and airports in southern India, have now shifted their activities to Bangladesh, according to Wildlife officials.
With the increased vigil at the airports and ports in the southern States, the smugglers take the star tortoises to Bangladesh by train or road from where they are transported to Southeast Asian destinations.
One of the main reasons for choosing the neighbouring country is that reptile smuggling does not attract any major punishment from the authorities there, say the Wildlife authorities.
According to wildlife authorities, people from Tamil Nadu are mainly involved in the smuggling of this species.
A few months ago one consignment of star tortoises was seized by officials in Malaysia. However, following the intervention of the Central government, the consignment was returned to India. But, when the consignment returned home a sizeable number of the smuggled reptiles were dead. Only one third of the reptiles returned alive. The authorities rehabilitated them at the Arignar Anna Zoological Park, Vandalur, they say.
Recently a consignment of star tortoises was seized in Bangladesh from a person holding a passport issued from Tamil Nadu. Officials from the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau Headquarters office in New Delhi visited Bangladesh. However, as the authorities could not confirm from where the star tortoises were collected from, they did not insist on returning the consignment to the country, said a senior official from the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau in New Delhi.
The State wildlife authorities have to increase their vigil at the border check posts to prevent the movement of star tortoises. Star tortoises are found in large numbers in dry deciduous forest patches in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. A few years ago smugglers used to collect them in large numbers from Palmaner forests in Chittoor district in Andhra Pradesh. There is also a need for the wildlife authorities of the southern States to hold a coordination meeting with their counterparts in States such as Orissa and West Bengal to increase vigil both on the roads and trains, added the authorities.
Showing posts with label smuggling. Show all posts
Showing posts with label smuggling. Show all posts
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Star Tortoise Smugglers Shifting Focus to Bangladesh (Via HerpDigest)
Star Tortoise Smugglers Shifting Focus to Bangladesh
by P. Oppili The Hindu, 9/2/10
Star tortoise smugglers, who were earlier operating through the ports and airports in southern India, have now shifted their activities to Bangladesh, according to Wildlife officials.
With the increased vigil at the airports and ports in the southern States, the smugglers take the star tortoises to Bangladesh by train or road from where they are transported to Southeast Asian destinations.
One of the main reasons for choosing the neighbouring country is that reptile smuggling does not attract any major punishment from the authorities there, say the Wildlife authorities.
According to wildlife authorities, people from Tamil Nadu are mainly involved in the smuggling of this species.
A few months ago one consignment of star tortoises was seized by officials in Malaysia. However, following the intervention of the Central government, the consignment was returned to India. But, when the consignment returned home a sizeable number of the smuggled reptiles were dead. Only one third of the reptiles returned alive. The authorities rehabilitated them at the Arignar Anna Zoological Park, Vandalur, they say.
Recently a consignment of star tortoises was seized in Bangladesh from a person holding a passport issued from Tamil Nadu. Officials from the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau Headquarters office in New Delhi visited Bangladesh. However, as the authorities could not confirm from where the star tortoises were collected from, they did not insist on returning the consignment to the country, said a senior official from the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau in New Delhi.
The State wildlife authorities have to increase their vigil at the border check posts to prevent the movement of star tortoises. Star tortoises are found in large numbers in dry deciduous forest patches in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. A few years ago smugglers used to collect them in large numbers from Palmaner forests in Chittoor district in Andhra Pradesh. There is also a need for the wildlife authorities of the southern States to hold a coordination meeting with their counterparts in States such as Orissa and West Bengal to increase vigil both on the roads and trains, added the authorities.
by P. Oppili The Hindu, 9/2/10
Star tortoise smugglers, who were earlier operating through the ports and airports in southern India, have now shifted their activities to Bangladesh, according to Wildlife officials.
With the increased vigil at the airports and ports in the southern States, the smugglers take the star tortoises to Bangladesh by train or road from where they are transported to Southeast Asian destinations.
One of the main reasons for choosing the neighbouring country is that reptile smuggling does not attract any major punishment from the authorities there, say the Wildlife authorities.
According to wildlife authorities, people from Tamil Nadu are mainly involved in the smuggling of this species.
A few months ago one consignment of star tortoises was seized by officials in Malaysia. However, following the intervention of the Central government, the consignment was returned to India. But, when the consignment returned home a sizeable number of the smuggled reptiles were dead. Only one third of the reptiles returned alive. The authorities rehabilitated them at the Arignar Anna Zoological Park, Vandalur, they say.
Recently a consignment of star tortoises was seized in Bangladesh from a person holding a passport issued from Tamil Nadu. Officials from the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau Headquarters office in New Delhi visited Bangladesh. However, as the authorities could not confirm from where the star tortoises were collected from, they did not insist on returning the consignment to the country, said a senior official from the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau in New Delhi.
The State wildlife authorities have to increase their vigil at the border check posts to prevent the movement of star tortoises. Star tortoises are found in large numbers in dry deciduous forest patches in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. A few years ago smugglers used to collect them in large numbers from Palmaner forests in Chittoor district in Andhra Pradesh. There is also a need for the wildlife authorities of the southern States to hold a coordination meeting with their counterparts in States such as Orissa and West Bengal to increase vigil both on the roads and trains, added the authorities.
Monday, September 6, 2010
Anson Wong Jailed for 95 Snakes On A Plane -6 Months and $61,000 Fine (Via HerpDigest)
Anson Wong Jailed for 95 Snakes On A Plane -6 Months and $61,000 Fine
KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) 9/6/10 - A Malaysian was jailed for six months and fined 190,000 ringgit ($61,000) for trying to smuggle 95 snakes out of the country, a sentence that campaigners said was too light.
Anson Wong, already convicted of trafficking in wildlife in the United States in 2001, pleaded guilty last week and will start his sentence on Sept. 13.
Under Malaysian law, Wong could have faced seven years in jail and fines of up to 100,000 ringgit ($32,000) for each snake up to a maximum of a million ringgit or both.
Wong was detained when in transit from the Malaysian island state of Penang to the Indonesian capital Jakarta on Aug. 26 when staff at Kuala Lumpur airport were alerted to a bag that had broken while on a conveyor belt.
They found 95 boa constrictors, two rhinoceros vipers and a matamata turtle inside the bag.
The U.S. Department of Justice said Wong had pleaded guilty to a trafficking in the United States in 2001 and was sentenced to 71 months in jail.
TRAFFIC, a wildlife trade monitoring organisation, said the sentence indicated unwillingness by Malaysian authorities to get tough with real wildlife criminals and to show the world it was serious about wildlife trafficking.
"This is a tragedy. It clearly tells wildlife traffickers that they have little to fear from Malaysian law," said TRAFFIC Southeast Asia regional director, William Schaedla.
KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) 9/6/10 - A Malaysian was jailed for six months and fined 190,000 ringgit ($61,000) for trying to smuggle 95 snakes out of the country, a sentence that campaigners said was too light.
Anson Wong, already convicted of trafficking in wildlife in the United States in 2001, pleaded guilty last week and will start his sentence on Sept. 13.
Under Malaysian law, Wong could have faced seven years in jail and fines of up to 100,000 ringgit ($32,000) for each snake up to a maximum of a million ringgit or both.
Wong was detained when in transit from the Malaysian island state of Penang to the Indonesian capital Jakarta on Aug. 26 when staff at Kuala Lumpur airport were alerted to a bag that had broken while on a conveyor belt.
They found 95 boa constrictors, two rhinoceros vipers and a matamata turtle inside the bag.
The U.S. Department of Justice said Wong had pleaded guilty to a trafficking in the United States in 2001 and was sentenced to 71 months in jail.
TRAFFIC, a wildlife trade monitoring organisation, said the sentence indicated unwillingness by Malaysian authorities to get tough with real wildlife criminals and to show the world it was serious about wildlife trafficking.
"This is a tragedy. It clearly tells wildlife traffickers that they have little to fear from Malaysian law," said TRAFFIC Southeast Asia regional director, William Schaedla.
Anson Wong Jailed for 95 Snakes On A Plane -6 Months and $61,000 Fine (Via HerpDigest)
Anson Wong Jailed for 95 Snakes On A Plane -6 Months and $61,000 Fine
KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) 9/6/10 - A Malaysian was jailed for six months and fined 190,000 ringgit ($61,000) for trying to smuggle 95 snakes out of the country, a sentence that campaigners said was too light.
Anson Wong, already convicted of trafficking in wildlife in the United States in 2001, pleaded guilty last week and will start his sentence on Sept. 13.
Under Malaysian law, Wong could have faced seven years in jail and fines of up to 100,000 ringgit ($32,000) for each snake up to a maximum of a million ringgit or both.
Wong was detained when in transit from the Malaysian island state of Penang to the Indonesian capital Jakarta on Aug. 26 when staff at Kuala Lumpur airport were alerted to a bag that had broken while on a conveyor belt.
They found 95 boa constrictors, two rhinoceros vipers and a matamata turtle inside the bag.
The U.S. Department of Justice said Wong had pleaded guilty to a trafficking in the United States in 2001 and was sentenced to 71 months in jail.
TRAFFIC, a wildlife trade monitoring organisation, said the sentence indicated unwillingness by Malaysian authorities to get tough with real wildlife criminals and to show the world it was serious about wildlife trafficking.
"This is a tragedy. It clearly tells wildlife traffickers that they have little to fear from Malaysian law," said TRAFFIC Southeast Asia regional director, William Schaedla.
KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) 9/6/10 - A Malaysian was jailed for six months and fined 190,000 ringgit ($61,000) for trying to smuggle 95 snakes out of the country, a sentence that campaigners said was too light.
Anson Wong, already convicted of trafficking in wildlife in the United States in 2001, pleaded guilty last week and will start his sentence on Sept. 13.
Under Malaysian law, Wong could have faced seven years in jail and fines of up to 100,000 ringgit ($32,000) for each snake up to a maximum of a million ringgit or both.
Wong was detained when in transit from the Malaysian island state of Penang to the Indonesian capital Jakarta on Aug. 26 when staff at Kuala Lumpur airport were alerted to a bag that had broken while on a conveyor belt.
They found 95 boa constrictors, two rhinoceros vipers and a matamata turtle inside the bag.
The U.S. Department of Justice said Wong had pleaded guilty to a trafficking in the United States in 2001 and was sentenced to 71 months in jail.
TRAFFIC, a wildlife trade monitoring organisation, said the sentence indicated unwillingness by Malaysian authorities to get tough with real wildlife criminals and to show the world it was serious about wildlife trafficking.
"This is a tragedy. It clearly tells wildlife traffickers that they have little to fear from Malaysian law," said TRAFFIC Southeast Asia regional director, William Schaedla.
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Tiger cub found in bag at airport
Authorities at Bangkok's international airport found a tiger cub that had been drugged and hidden alongside a stuffed toy tiger in the suitcase of a woman flying from Thailand to Iran, an official and a wildlife protection group said.
The woman, a Thai national, had checked in for her flight and her overweight bag was sent for an X-ray which showed what appeared to be a live animal inside, according to Traffic, a wildlife trade monitoring group.
The woman was arrested at Suvarnabhumi Airport before boarding her flight. The cub, estimated to be about three months old, was sent to a wildlife conservation centre in Bangkok.
"The cub arrived at our unit on Monday," said Chaiyaporn Chareesaeng, head of the Wildlife Health Unit at the Department of National Parks' Wildlife and Plant Conservation Centre, where the animal was put under close supervision.
"He appeared exhausted, dehydrated and couldn't walk, so we had to give him oxygen, water and lactation," said Chaiyaporn. "We have monitored him closely. As of today, he looks better and can walk a little now."
A DNA test was expected to provide details about the cub's origin, said Chaiyaporn.
"I was a bit shocked because an animal isn't supposed to be treated like this," said Nirath Nipanant, chief of the airport's wildlife checkpoint. "Had the animal passed the oversize baggage check and gone through four to five hours of travel, its chances of survival would have been slim."
The woman, identified as Piyawan Palasarn, 31, faces up to four years in prison and a 40,000 baht (£820) fine for two wildlife smuggling-related charges, police said.
She denied the luggage with the cub belonged to her and said another passenger had asked her to carry it for them, said Adisorn Noochdumrong of the Thai Wildlife Protection Department.
The cub could have fetched about 100,000 baht (£2,000) on the black market in Iran, where it is popular to have exotic pets, Adisorn said. He said he did not know what the woman allegedly intended to do with this particular cub. He said his office wanted the law amended so the maximum prison term was increased to 10 years.
http://news.uk.msn.com/world/articles.aspx?cp-documentid=154513083&ocid=today
The woman, a Thai national, had checked in for her flight and her overweight bag was sent for an X-ray which showed what appeared to be a live animal inside, according to Traffic, a wildlife trade monitoring group.
The woman was arrested at Suvarnabhumi Airport before boarding her flight. The cub, estimated to be about three months old, was sent to a wildlife conservation centre in Bangkok.
"The cub arrived at our unit on Monday," said Chaiyaporn Chareesaeng, head of the Wildlife Health Unit at the Department of National Parks' Wildlife and Plant Conservation Centre, where the animal was put under close supervision.
"He appeared exhausted, dehydrated and couldn't walk, so we had to give him oxygen, water and lactation," said Chaiyaporn. "We have monitored him closely. As of today, he looks better and can walk a little now."
A DNA test was expected to provide details about the cub's origin, said Chaiyaporn.
"I was a bit shocked because an animal isn't supposed to be treated like this," said Nirath Nipanant, chief of the airport's wildlife checkpoint. "Had the animal passed the oversize baggage check and gone through four to five hours of travel, its chances of survival would have been slim."
The woman, identified as Piyawan Palasarn, 31, faces up to four years in prison and a 40,000 baht (£820) fine for two wildlife smuggling-related charges, police said.
She denied the luggage with the cub belonged to her and said another passenger had asked her to carry it for them, said Adisorn Noochdumrong of the Thai Wildlife Protection Department.
The cub could have fetched about 100,000 baht (£2,000) on the black market in Iran, where it is popular to have exotic pets, Adisorn said. He said he did not know what the woman allegedly intended to do with this particular cub. He said his office wanted the law amended so the maximum prison term was increased to 10 years.
http://news.uk.msn.com/world/articles.aspx?cp-documentid=154513083&ocid=today
Friday, August 27, 2010
Tiger cub found among stuffed toys in Bangkok luggage
26 August 10 21:41A two-month-old tiger cub has been found sedated and hidden among stuffed toy tigers in a woman's luggage at Bangkok's airport, the wildlife trade monitoring network Traffic has said.
The Thai national was trying to board a flight to Iran but had difficulty with a large bag at check-in.
X-rays aroused suspicions among airport staff who believed they had seen an image resembling a real animal.
Wildlife officers were then called in and discovered the tranquilised cub.
The tiger was found last Sunday and is now being cared for at the rescue centre of the department of national parks, wildlife and plant conservation.
Authorities are trying to determine if the cat is wild or captive-bred.
Chris Shepherd, South-East Asia deputy regional director for Traffic, said: "We applaud all the agencies that came together to uncover this brazen smuggling attempt."
But he also called for regular monitoring and harsher penalties.
"If people are trying to smuggle live tigers in their check-in luggage, they obviously think wildlife smuggling is something easy to get away with and do not fear reprimand," he said.
"Only sustained pressure on wildlife traffickers and serious penalties can change that."
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/mobile/world-asia-pacific-11104948
(Submitted by Janet Lawrence)
Monday, August 9, 2010
Should Smuggled Madagascar Frogs Be Returned Home? (Via HerpDigest)
Should Smuggled Madagascar Frogs Be Returned Home?
by John Bohannon on July 19, 2010
Conservation biologists are celebrating last week's bust of Madagascar animal smugglers at the airport in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. But in an ironic twist, they're now scrambling to ensure that the animals aren't shipped back home. The 40 extremely rare tomato frogs that were found hidden in a piece of luggage "should not be returned under any circumstances," says Joseph Mendelson, a herpetologist at Zoo Atlanta. They could bring home the amphibian-killing Chytrid fungus, found in Malaysia that the entire island of Madagascar has so far avoided.
E-mails have been flying fast and furious between herpetologists today with proposals for what to do with the stranded frogs. Euthanasia seems to have been ruled out. "The best thing is to ship them to a zoo with a captive breeding program," says Mendelson. "There's a good one in Hong Kong." But Mendelson and others say that they fear that the frogs could pick up the fungus during their several-day stay in the airport. The only way the fungus moves across the ocean is on the bodies of amphibians; scientists have called for a complete ban on amphibians crossing Madagascar's borders.
The smuggling of the animals off the island is the latest sign that Madagascar's new military rulers have not brought the illegal trade of the country's unique species under control. Scientists have been cautiously optimistic since 2 April when the regime caved to pressure to reinstate the ban on the logging of Rosewood trees. Since then, allegations of government complicity with species trafficking have not abated. But the orphaned tomato frogs pose a far greater threat to the island's biota, says Mendelson. "Madagascar is one of the few places left that has escaped the fungus," and just a single contaminated amphibian could spark "an extremely rapid loss of species."
by John Bohannon on July 19, 2010
Conservation biologists are celebrating last week's bust of Madagascar animal smugglers at the airport in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. But in an ironic twist, they're now scrambling to ensure that the animals aren't shipped back home. The 40 extremely rare tomato frogs that were found hidden in a piece of luggage "should not be returned under any circumstances," says Joseph Mendelson, a herpetologist at Zoo Atlanta. They could bring home the amphibian-killing Chytrid fungus, found in Malaysia that the entire island of Madagascar has so far avoided.
E-mails have been flying fast and furious between herpetologists today with proposals for what to do with the stranded frogs. Euthanasia seems to have been ruled out. "The best thing is to ship them to a zoo with a captive breeding program," says Mendelson. "There's a good one in Hong Kong." But Mendelson and others say that they fear that the frogs could pick up the fungus during their several-day stay in the airport. The only way the fungus moves across the ocean is on the bodies of amphibians; scientists have called for a complete ban on amphibians crossing Madagascar's borders.
The smuggling of the animals off the island is the latest sign that Madagascar's new military rulers have not brought the illegal trade of the country's unique species under control. Scientists have been cautiously optimistic since 2 April when the regime caved to pressure to reinstate the ban on the logging of Rosewood trees. Since then, allegations of government complicity with species trafficking have not abated. But the orphaned tomato frogs pose a far greater threat to the island's biota, says Mendelson. "Madagascar is one of the few places left that has escaped the fungus," and just a single contaminated amphibian could spark "an extremely rapid loss of species."
Saturday, July 24, 2010
Hundreds of endangered Malagasy tortoises have been seized in Malaysia (Via HerpDigest)
Hundreds of endangered Malagasy tortoises have been seized in Malaysia
TRAFFIC Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 16 July 2010-Malaysian
Customs Department officers on Wednesday foiled another attempt to smuggle hundreds of Critically Endangered Madagascar tortoises into Malaysia and arrested two women in whose bags, the tortoises were hidden.
The Malagasy women had filled two bags with 369 Radiated Tortoises Astrochelys radiata and five Ploughshare Tortoises Astrochelys yniphora.
Apart from the tortoises, the duo had also hidden 47 Tomato Frogs Dyscophus antongilii and several chameleons in their luggage.
This is the second case in just over a month involving the smuggling of these rare tortoises into Malaysia. In early June, Customs officers at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport, discovered 285 Radiated Tortoises, 14 Spider Tortoises Pyxis arachnoids and a Ploughshare Tortoise in two
unclaimed suitcases that also contained a stash of drugs. No arrests were made in that incident.
The reptiles and amphibians seized in both cases have been handed over to the Department of Wildlife and National Parks (Perhilitan).
Perhilitan Director-General Datuk Abd. Rasid Samsudin told press that the two suspects were being investigated under Section 10(A) of Malaysia's International Trade in Endangered Species Act 2008, which came into force this month.
This section of the law provides for a total fine of up to MYR 1 million or a maximum jail sentence of seven years, or both, if a person is convicted of importing or exporting any scheduled species without a permit.
These cases confirm links between criminal elements in Southeast Asia and Madagascar. TRAFFIC Southeast Asia urges enforcement agencies within the ASEAN-WEN to collaborate in shutting these syndicates down, especially in international airports, as these are truly the hubs of the trade.
Investigations to find the masterminds behind the trade in Madagascar's tortoises in Southeast Asia should be initiated. It is these people, and those that continue to buy these illegal animals that are driving Malagasy wildlife towards extinction.
The second seizure of Madagascar tortoises comes hot on the heels of several Perhilitan successes this month.
"Malaysia's enforcement officers are to be congratulated on their crackdown on wildlife crime," said James Compton, Director of TRAFFIC's Asia-Pacific Programme.
"These efforts send a strong deterrent signal to those involved in the illicit trade that this global problem is being tackled in an increasingly systematic manner by effective law enforcement action."
On 11 July, Perhilitan's Wildlife Crime Unit (WCU) raided the premises of a flea market trader in the state of Selangor and seized several wildlife trophies including five Tiger claws, the casks and beaks of two Rhinoceros Hornbills, Sambar and Barking Deer antlers, bags and shoes made of python and cobra skins and 96 items made of elephant ivory.
On 13 July, the WCU and Malaysian Police raided a car workshop in Kuala Lumpur and discovered over 600 birds, many of them protected under local legislation and/or by international conventions, including three Straw-headed Bulbuls Pycnonotus zeylanicus a Blue-and-Yellow Macaw Ara ararauna, nine Sulphur-crested Cockatoos Cacatua galerita, three Palm Cockatoos Probosciger aterrimus and a pair of Twelve-wired Bird of Paradise Seleucidis melanoleucus.
Two men linked to this case are still at large, police told press on Tuesday when announcing the seizure.
TRAFFIC Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 16 July 2010-Malaysian
Customs Department officers on Wednesday foiled another attempt to smuggle hundreds of Critically Endangered Madagascar tortoises into Malaysia and arrested two women in whose bags, the tortoises were hidden.
The Malagasy women had filled two bags with 369 Radiated Tortoises Astrochelys radiata and five Ploughshare Tortoises Astrochelys yniphora.
Apart from the tortoises, the duo had also hidden 47 Tomato Frogs Dyscophus antongilii and several chameleons in their luggage.
This is the second case in just over a month involving the smuggling of these rare tortoises into Malaysia. In early June, Customs officers at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport, discovered 285 Radiated Tortoises, 14 Spider Tortoises Pyxis arachnoids and a Ploughshare Tortoise in two
unclaimed suitcases that also contained a stash of drugs. No arrests were made in that incident.
The reptiles and amphibians seized in both cases have been handed over to the Department of Wildlife and National Parks (Perhilitan).
Perhilitan Director-General Datuk Abd. Rasid Samsudin told press that the two suspects were being investigated under Section 10(A) of Malaysia's International Trade in Endangered Species Act 2008, which came into force this month.
This section of the law provides for a total fine of up to MYR 1 million or a maximum jail sentence of seven years, or both, if a person is convicted of importing or exporting any scheduled species without a permit.
These cases confirm links between criminal elements in Southeast Asia and Madagascar. TRAFFIC Southeast Asia urges enforcement agencies within the ASEAN-WEN to collaborate in shutting these syndicates down, especially in international airports, as these are truly the hubs of the trade.
Investigations to find the masterminds behind the trade in Madagascar's tortoises in Southeast Asia should be initiated. It is these people, and those that continue to buy these illegal animals that are driving Malagasy wildlife towards extinction.
The second seizure of Madagascar tortoises comes hot on the heels of several Perhilitan successes this month.
"Malaysia's enforcement officers are to be congratulated on their crackdown on wildlife crime," said James Compton, Director of TRAFFIC's Asia-Pacific Programme.
"These efforts send a strong deterrent signal to those involved in the illicit trade that this global problem is being tackled in an increasingly systematic manner by effective law enforcement action."
On 11 July, Perhilitan's Wildlife Crime Unit (WCU) raided the premises of a flea market trader in the state of Selangor and seized several wildlife trophies including five Tiger claws, the casks and beaks of two Rhinoceros Hornbills, Sambar and Barking Deer antlers, bags and shoes made of python and cobra skins and 96 items made of elephant ivory.
On 13 July, the WCU and Malaysian Police raided a car workshop in Kuala Lumpur and discovered over 600 birds, many of them protected under local legislation and/or by international conventions, including three Straw-headed Bulbuls Pycnonotus zeylanicus a Blue-and-Yellow Macaw Ara ararauna, nine Sulphur-crested Cockatoos Cacatua galerita, three Palm Cockatoos Probosciger aterrimus and a pair of Twelve-wired Bird of Paradise Seleucidis melanoleucus.
Two men linked to this case are still at large, police told press on Tuesday when announcing the seizure.
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Hundreds Of Malagasy Tortoises Seized In Malaysia (Via HerpDigest)
Hundreds Of Malagasy Tortoises Seized In Malaysia
Article from Traffic
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 16 July 2010-Malaysian Customs Department officers on Wednesday foiled another attempt to smuggle hundreds of Critically Endangered Madagascar tortoises into Malaysia and arrested two women in whose bags, the tortoises were hidden.
The Malagasy women had filled two bags with 369 Radiated Tortoises Astrochelys radiata and five Ploughshare Tortoises Astrochelys yniphora. Apart from the tortoises, the duo had also hidden 47 Tomato Frogs Dyscophus antongilii and several chameleons in their luggage.
This is the second case in just over a month involving the smuggling of these rare tortoises into Malaysia. In early June, Customs officers at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport, discovered 285 Radiated Tortoises, 14 Spider Tortoises Pyxis arachnoids and a Ploughshare Tortoise in two unclaimed suitcases that also contained a stash of drugs. No arrests were made in that incident.
The reptiles and amphibians seized in both cases have been handed over to the Department of Wildlife and National Parks (Perhilitan).
Perhilitan Director-General Datuk Abd. Rasid Samsudin told press that the two suspects were being investigated under Section 10(A) of Malaysia's International Trade in Endangered Species Act 2008, which came into force this month.
This section of the law provides for a total fine of up to MYR 1 million or a maximum jail sentence of seven years, or both, if a person is convicted of importing or exporting any scheduled species without a permit.
These cases confirm links between criminal elements in Southeast Asia and Madagascar. TRAFFIC Southeast Asia urges enforcement agencies within the ASEAN-WEN to collaborate in shutting these syndicates down, especially in international airports, as these are truly the hubs of the trade.
Investigations to find the masterminds behind the trade in Madagascar's tortoises in Southeast Asia should be initiated. It is these people, and those that continue to buy these illegal animals that are driving Malagasy wildlife towards extinction.
The second seizure of Madagascar tortoises comes hot on the heels of several Perhilitan successes this month.
"Malaysia's enforcement officers are to be congratulated on their crackdown on wildlife crime," said James Compton, Director of TRAFFIC's Asia-Pacific Programme.
"These efforts send a strong deterrent signal to those involved in the illicit trade that this global problem is being tackled in an increasingly systematic manner by effective law enforcement action."
On 11 July, Perhilitan's Wildlife Crime Unit (WCU) raided the premises of a flea market trader in the state of Selangor and seized several wildlife trophies including five Tiger claws, the casks and beaks of two Rhinoceros Hornbills, Sambar and Barking Deer antlers, bags and shoes made of python and cobra skins and 96 items made of elephant ivory.
On 13 July, the WCU and Malaysian Police raided a car workshop in Kuala Lumpur and discovered over 600 birds, many of them protected under local legislation and/or by international conventions, including three Straw-headed Bulbuls Pycnonotus zeylanicus a Blue-and-Yellow Macaw Ara ararauna, nine Sulphur-crested Cockatoos Cacatua galerita, three Palm Cockatoos Probosciger aterrimus and a pair of Twelve-wired Bird of Paradise Seleucidis melanoleucus.
Two men linked to this case are still at large, police told press on Tuesday when announcing the seizure.
Article from Traffic
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 16 July 2010-Malaysian Customs Department officers on Wednesday foiled another attempt to smuggle hundreds of Critically Endangered Madagascar tortoises into Malaysia and arrested two women in whose bags, the tortoises were hidden.
The Malagasy women had filled two bags with 369 Radiated Tortoises Astrochelys radiata and five Ploughshare Tortoises Astrochelys yniphora. Apart from the tortoises, the duo had also hidden 47 Tomato Frogs Dyscophus antongilii and several chameleons in their luggage.
This is the second case in just over a month involving the smuggling of these rare tortoises into Malaysia. In early June, Customs officers at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport, discovered 285 Radiated Tortoises, 14 Spider Tortoises Pyxis arachnoids and a Ploughshare Tortoise in two unclaimed suitcases that also contained a stash of drugs. No arrests were made in that incident.
The reptiles and amphibians seized in both cases have been handed over to the Department of Wildlife and National Parks (Perhilitan).
Perhilitan Director-General Datuk Abd. Rasid Samsudin told press that the two suspects were being investigated under Section 10(A) of Malaysia's International Trade in Endangered Species Act 2008, which came into force this month.
This section of the law provides for a total fine of up to MYR 1 million or a maximum jail sentence of seven years, or both, if a person is convicted of importing or exporting any scheduled species without a permit.
These cases confirm links between criminal elements in Southeast Asia and Madagascar. TRAFFIC Southeast Asia urges enforcement agencies within the ASEAN-WEN to collaborate in shutting these syndicates down, especially in international airports, as these are truly the hubs of the trade.
Investigations to find the masterminds behind the trade in Madagascar's tortoises in Southeast Asia should be initiated. It is these people, and those that continue to buy these illegal animals that are driving Malagasy wildlife towards extinction.
The second seizure of Madagascar tortoises comes hot on the heels of several Perhilitan successes this month.
"Malaysia's enforcement officers are to be congratulated on their crackdown on wildlife crime," said James Compton, Director of TRAFFIC's Asia-Pacific Programme.
"These efforts send a strong deterrent signal to those involved in the illicit trade that this global problem is being tackled in an increasingly systematic manner by effective law enforcement action."
On 11 July, Perhilitan's Wildlife Crime Unit (WCU) raided the premises of a flea market trader in the state of Selangor and seized several wildlife trophies including five Tiger claws, the casks and beaks of two Rhinoceros Hornbills, Sambar and Barking Deer antlers, bags and shoes made of python and cobra skins and 96 items made of elephant ivory.
On 13 July, the WCU and Malaysian Police raided a car workshop in Kuala Lumpur and discovered over 600 birds, many of them protected under local legislation and/or by international conventions, including three Straw-headed Bulbuls Pycnonotus zeylanicus a Blue-and-Yellow Macaw Ara ararauna, nine Sulphur-crested Cockatoos Cacatua galerita, three Palm Cockatoos Probosciger aterrimus and a pair of Twelve-wired Bird of Paradise Seleucidis melanoleucus.
Two men linked to this case are still at large, police told press on Tuesday when announcing the seizure.
Monday, June 14, 2010
Malaysian airport staff rescue smuggled tortoises
Jun 14, 5:03 AM EDT
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) -- Tortoises may move slowly, but even a little movement can be a lifesaver.
Customs staff at Malaysia's Kuala Lumpur International Airport noticed something stirring in two bags and discovered 300 tortoises hidden amid shredded paper.
Found taped up inside the sacks were 285 radiated tortoises, 15 spider tortoises, and one Madagascar tortoise - all endangered species indigenous to Madagascar, said Loo Kean Seong, a senior official of the Department of Wildlife and National Parks.
Two slabs of cannabis weighing about 4 1/2 pounds (2 kilograms) were also discovered, said Nordin Kadir, narcotics chief of central Selangor state, where the airport is located.
The bags were abandoned by a passenger who arrived on a flight from Mauritius, he said. The passenger walked out and escaped after seeing customs officials screening luggage.
Misliah Mohamed Basir, another senior wildlife department official, said Monday the tortoises will be returned to Madagascar.
Radiated tortoises are coveted by collectors and sold internationally as pets or food.
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/A/AS_MALAYSIA_SMUGGLED_TORTOISES
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) -- Tortoises may move slowly, but even a little movement can be a lifesaver.
Customs staff at Malaysia's Kuala Lumpur International Airport noticed something stirring in two bags and discovered 300 tortoises hidden amid shredded paper.
Found taped up inside the sacks were 285 radiated tortoises, 15 spider tortoises, and one Madagascar tortoise - all endangered species indigenous to Madagascar, said Loo Kean Seong, a senior official of the Department of Wildlife and National Parks.
Two slabs of cannabis weighing about 4 1/2 pounds (2 kilograms) were also discovered, said Nordin Kadir, narcotics chief of central Selangor state, where the airport is located.
The bags were abandoned by a passenger who arrived on a flight from Mauritius, he said. The passenger walked out and escaped after seeing customs officials screening luggage.
Misliah Mohamed Basir, another senior wildlife department official, said Monday the tortoises will be returned to Madagascar.
Radiated tortoises are coveted by collectors and sold internationally as pets or food.
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/A/AS_MALAYSIA_SMUGGLED_TORTOISES
Sunday, May 9, 2010
Reptile Rustlers Busted At Border
Reptile Rustlers Busted At Border -Endangered Species Among 1,000+ Hidden In Their Van
May 03, 2010/The Canadian Press
ST. CATHARINES, Ont.
A Niagara-on-the-Lake nab has admitted to illegally loading up his van with more than 1,000 reptiles and trying to sneak them across the Canada-U.S. border.
Andrew Fruck, 32, pleaded guilty in a St. Catharines, Ont., court Friday to trying to smuggle more than 1,000 tortoises, turtles, boa constrictors and pythons.
Canadian border guards at the Queenston-Lewiston bridge found a slew of reptiles hidden behind panels of the vehicle during a search on Sept. 15, 2009.
Among the critter contraband were seven types of endangered species: 15 red-footed tortoises, three leopard tortoises, two elongated tortoises, 14 African-spurred tortoises, three macklot pythons, two forsten tortoises and six rainbow boa constrictors.
Also in the shipment were 203 southern painted turtles, 1,220 red-eared slider turtles, three pond turtles and four king snakes - which are not endangered.
Fruck did not have proper documentation to import them into Canada.
Federal prosecutor Darren Anger said Fruck was attempting to cross the border with his wife, Tricia, and their two children when guards noticed a few loose screws in the van's back panels. A guard removed one of them and found a cotton bag stuffed with several turtles, he said.
Fruck pleaded guilty to seven counts of unlawfully importing an endangered animal into the country and four counts of unlawfully importing an animal into the country without proper permits.
He also pleaded guilty to one count of making a false statement to a customs officer and breaching a probation order banning the possession of animals.
Fruck's wife, Tricia, 30, pleaded guilty to breaching a probation order relating to a charge in St. Catharines on Oct. 16, 2009.
Anger said last fall a mix of live and dead animals, including tree frog and gecko carcasses, was found in the couple's home.
Thirty bags of dead rodents were found in an upstairs fridge.
An online resume says Fruck ran a company called Rodent Kings from 2001 to 2009 through which he sold small animals.
Both Andrew and Tricia have both been previously convicted of cruelty to animals when they were living in Napanee, Ont., Anger told the court.
The animals were seized at the border and transferred to other holding facilities. The 1,200 turtles were returned to their rightful home in Louisiana.
Both Andrew and Tricia Fruck will be sentenced on July 16.
May 03, 2010/The Canadian Press
ST. CATHARINES, Ont.
A Niagara-on-the-Lake nab has admitted to illegally loading up his van with more than 1,000 reptiles and trying to sneak them across the Canada-U.S. border.
Andrew Fruck, 32, pleaded guilty in a St. Catharines, Ont., court Friday to trying to smuggle more than 1,000 tortoises, turtles, boa constrictors and pythons.
Canadian border guards at the Queenston-Lewiston bridge found a slew of reptiles hidden behind panels of the vehicle during a search on Sept. 15, 2009.
Among the critter contraband were seven types of endangered species: 15 red-footed tortoises, three leopard tortoises, two elongated tortoises, 14 African-spurred tortoises, three macklot pythons, two forsten tortoises and six rainbow boa constrictors.
Also in the shipment were 203 southern painted turtles, 1,220 red-eared slider turtles, three pond turtles and four king snakes - which are not endangered.
Fruck did not have proper documentation to import them into Canada.
Federal prosecutor Darren Anger said Fruck was attempting to cross the border with his wife, Tricia, and their two children when guards noticed a few loose screws in the van's back panels. A guard removed one of them and found a cotton bag stuffed with several turtles, he said.
Fruck pleaded guilty to seven counts of unlawfully importing an endangered animal into the country and four counts of unlawfully importing an animal into the country without proper permits.
He also pleaded guilty to one count of making a false statement to a customs officer and breaching a probation order banning the possession of animals.
Fruck's wife, Tricia, 30, pleaded guilty to breaching a probation order relating to a charge in St. Catharines on Oct. 16, 2009.
Anger said last fall a mix of live and dead animals, including tree frog and gecko carcasses, was found in the couple's home.
Thirty bags of dead rodents were found in an upstairs fridge.
An online resume says Fruck ran a company called Rodent Kings from 2001 to 2009 through which he sold small animals.
Both Andrew and Tricia have both been previously convicted of cruelty to animals when they were living in Napanee, Ont., Anger told the court.
The animals were seized at the border and transferred to other holding facilities. The 1,200 turtles were returned to their rightful home in Louisiana.
Both Andrew and Tricia Fruck will be sentenced on July 16.
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Bull semen smuggled in Thermos bottle
May 5, 2010
By TONY BLAIS, QMI Agency
EDMONTON - Did you hear the one about the Alberta cowboy who got hit with a hefty fine after being busted trying to smuggle bull semen across the border in his pickup truck?
Well, it's no bull.
Devin William Warrilow, 22, was dinged $5,000 Tuesday after pleading guilty in Edmonton provincial court to a charge under the Health of Animals Act for failing to present goods to a Canada Border Services Agency inspector.
The Minburn man, whose family runs an Angus operation near the small village 173 km southeast of Edmonton, also had to forfeit the 14 straws (samples) of bovine germplasm, commonly referred to as bull semen, that he tried to smuggle.
According to an agreed statement of facts, Warrilow and a male passenger arrived at the Canada customs office of Del Bonita, Alta. -- three km north of the U.S. border -- about 5:20 p.m. on Feb. 26, 2008, after driving from the United States in his pickup truck.
Warrilow told the customs officer he had been in the U.S. for three days after entering in North Dakota and said he was travelling and visiting various ranches in the area.
Warrilow declared he had bought $260 worth of goods, including two tins of chewing tobacco, two containers of Excedrin, six bottles of body wash, shoes and firearm reloading tools and supplies.
However, the customs officer noted Warrilow "appeared nervous, avoided eye contact and was hesitant replying" so he referred the pair for a secondary examination.
At that point, officers began looking through the pickup and noticed there was a semen nitrogen tank in the box.
When questioned, Warrilow said it was empty because he planned on picking up some semen in Taber.
After verifying this, the officer looked in the engine compartment and found three boxes of undeclared Excedrin bottles stored in the front passenger fender well.
The officer also located a Thermos bottle, painted with a sand/dust coloured textured paint, in the fan shroud near the radiator which contained 14 straws.
When asked about it, Warrilow admitted it was bull semen and said he had no paperwork to cover it.
Court heard a Canadian Food Inspection Agency import permit, a zoosanitary export certificate and a border inspection are required to import frozen semen. Warrilow was then detained.
In a written statement, Warrilow said the reason he hid the bull semen was because he had heard it took three hours to clear semen through the border and he was trying to avoid the delay.
http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/WeirdNews/2010/05/05/13829371-qmi.html
By TONY BLAIS, QMI Agency
EDMONTON - Did you hear the one about the Alberta cowboy who got hit with a hefty fine after being busted trying to smuggle bull semen across the border in his pickup truck?
Well, it's no bull.
Devin William Warrilow, 22, was dinged $5,000 Tuesday after pleading guilty in Edmonton provincial court to a charge under the Health of Animals Act for failing to present goods to a Canada Border Services Agency inspector.
The Minburn man, whose family runs an Angus operation near the small village 173 km southeast of Edmonton, also had to forfeit the 14 straws (samples) of bovine germplasm, commonly referred to as bull semen, that he tried to smuggle.
According to an agreed statement of facts, Warrilow and a male passenger arrived at the Canada customs office of Del Bonita, Alta. -- three km north of the U.S. border -- about 5:20 p.m. on Feb. 26, 2008, after driving from the United States in his pickup truck.
Warrilow told the customs officer he had been in the U.S. for three days after entering in North Dakota and said he was travelling and visiting various ranches in the area.
Warrilow declared he had bought $260 worth of goods, including two tins of chewing tobacco, two containers of Excedrin, six bottles of body wash, shoes and firearm reloading tools and supplies.
However, the customs officer noted Warrilow "appeared nervous, avoided eye contact and was hesitant replying" so he referred the pair for a secondary examination.
At that point, officers began looking through the pickup and noticed there was a semen nitrogen tank in the box.
When questioned, Warrilow said it was empty because he planned on picking up some semen in Taber.
After verifying this, the officer looked in the engine compartment and found three boxes of undeclared Excedrin bottles stored in the front passenger fender well.
The officer also located a Thermos bottle, painted with a sand/dust coloured textured paint, in the fan shroud near the radiator which contained 14 straws.
When asked about it, Warrilow admitted it was bull semen and said he had no paperwork to cover it.
Court heard a Canadian Food Inspection Agency import permit, a zoosanitary export certificate and a border inspection are required to import frozen semen. Warrilow was then detained.
In a written statement, Warrilow said the reason he hid the bull semen was because he had heard it took three hours to clear semen through the border and he was trying to avoid the delay.
http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/WeirdNews/2010/05/05/13829371-qmi.html
Saturday, March 20, 2010
Rare geckos returned home
Added: 7:25PM Friday March 19, 2010
Source: ONE News
Sixteen rare jewelled geckos at the centre of a foiled smuggling bid are now back where they belong.
See video here: http://tvnz.co.nz/national-news/rare-geckos-returned-home-1-42-video-3423523
(Submitted by Tony Lucas)
Source: ONE News
Sixteen rare jewelled geckos at the centre of a foiled smuggling bid are now back where they belong.
See video here: http://tvnz.co.nz/national-news/rare-geckos-returned-home-1-42-video-3423523
(Submitted by Tony Lucas)
Thursday, March 18, 2010
UN animal conference tackles Mideast animal trade
By ZEINA KARAM, Associated Press Writer Zeina Karam, Associated Press Writer – Wed Mar 17, 4:55 am ET
BEIRUT – A 2-year-old lion, emaciated and barely breathing, is found in a tiny cage off a Beirut highway. Monkeys are hauled through the dark tunnels of Gaza, bound for private zoos. Rare prize falcons are kept in desert encampments by wealthy Arab sheiks.
The trade in endangered animals is flourishing in the Middle East, fueled by corruption, ineffective legislation and lax law enforcement.
"It's a problem in the Arab world that we can no longer ignore," said Marguerite Shaarawi, co-founder of the animal rights group Animals Lebanon.
The group is pushing for Lebanon to join the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species, whose signatories are meeting this month in Qatar. It is the first time the 175-nation convention is meeting in an Arab country.
Lebanon and Bahrain are the only Arab countries yet to sign the convention.
Delegates at the U.N. conference are considering nearly four dozen proposals on a range of endangered species from rhinos to polar bears.
John Sellar, chief enforcement officer for CITES, said it is difficult to estimate the extent of the illegal trade in the Arab world, but Animals Lebanon estimates that it is the third largest illegal trade in the region, after weapons and drugs.
"Much of the illegal trade that takes place here is of a specialized nature," Sellar said, citing the example of prize falcons, kept by many Arab sheiks in desert encampments, particularly in the United Arab Emirates.
"We've also seen some smuggling of very exotic species ... like very rare parrots, young chimpanzees, gorillas and leopards that seem to be for the private collections of some of the rich individuals in the Gulf area," he said.
Several recent incidents have underscored the plight of animals in Lebanon — a country where the only law that refers to animal rights stipulates that anyone who purposely harms an animal has to pay a fine of up to $15.
Willem Wijnstekers, the secretary-general of CITES, said countries must have strong laws in place to discourage animal smuggling. Otherwise, he said, smugglers will simply see the penalties as part of the cost of doing business, and not a deterrent.
In December 2009, Animals Lebanon began a campaign against Egypt's Monte Carlo Circus after it received a tip that the circus animals — six lions and three tigers — did not have proper certificates and had not received water or food during the six-day trip from Egypt to Lebanon.
The group sent several activists and a veterinarian to the circus grounds to investigate, and they reported the animals were malnourished and that one cub had been de-clawed.
The circus was declared illegal in January after Agriculture Minister Hussein Hajj Hassan sent the ministry's own experts to investigate, but the circus has appealed. While the case continues, the circus is still giving daily performances attended by small crowds.
"The case of the circus, and the trade of the lions and tigers, highlighted the urgent need to have Lebanon join CITES and protect these endangered species," Hajj Hassan said.
A circus employee at a recent performance denied the animals were treated badly.
"They say we are not feeding them. Look at them, do they look hungry to you?" the employee asked the audience as lions and tigers dutifully performed acrobatics around a caged tent near a highway just north of Beirut.
There was no official comment from the circus.
The animals looked healthy at the performance, weeks after the allegations were made.
In February 2009, Animals Lebanon managed to close down a zoo and rescue its 42 neglected and dying animals that had become a health hazard to its neighbors.
The starving animals languishing in dirty, rusty cages included bears, jackals, a chimpanzee, monkeys and a vulture that had apparently spent years tied by a chain that prevented it from flying or moving out of its cage, which measured just 20 square feet (2 square meters).
"The lion and chimpanzee died, but we flew the monkeys to a sanctuary in Wales and two bears to a sanctuary in Turkey," Shaarawi said. "I cannot describe the happiness I feel when we are able to rescue abused animals and find new homes for them."
In September, a 2-year-old lion cub was rescued by members of another local animal welfare organization after he was apparently abandoned off the main road in Beirut by the owner of the pet shop that imported him.
The severely dehydrated "King of the Jungle" was emaciated and malnourished with open sores on his body, according to Beta, the organization that rescued him. Beta tried to save the animal — which the group named Adam — but it died shortly after it was found.
There are similar problems across the region.
In Egypt, a gateway from Africa to the Middle East, there is a flourishing chimpanzee trade and exotic animals are frequently smuggled in and out. The owners are believed to bribe airport officials to look away.
Last year, panic broke out on a flight from the United Arab Emirates to Egypt when a foot-long baby crocodile wriggled out of a passenger's hand luggage.
In blockaded Gaza, residents smuggle animals through tunnels that link the territory to Egypt to supply their private zoos. Smugglers proudly speak of hauling lions, monkeys and exotic birds through the underground passageways, making deals with animal smugglers in Egypt.
Most animals are drugged first, but in a particularly cruel practice, zoo owners usually rip out the teeth of lions to ensure they don't bite visitors.
Activists say many of the pet shops in Lebanon are unlicensed and keep the animals in appalling conditions without proper health care.
One pet shop owner who identified himself only by his first name, Elie, to avoid "trouble" from activists, scoffed at the allegations.
"Everything in here is legal," he says of the dogs, cats, parrots and rabbits he sells. Asked whether it was fair to keep a puppy locked up in a cage the size of a bird cage, he shrugged: "They are fine. It is only until I sell them."
___
Associated Press writers Diaa Hadid in Gaza and Sarah El Deeb in Cairo contributed to this report.
___
On the Net:
http://www.animalslebanon.org/
http://betalebanon.org/
http://www.cites.org/
___
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100317/ap_on_re_mi_ea/ml_un_smuggling_animals
BEIRUT – A 2-year-old lion, emaciated and barely breathing, is found in a tiny cage off a Beirut highway. Monkeys are hauled through the dark tunnels of Gaza, bound for private zoos. Rare prize falcons are kept in desert encampments by wealthy Arab sheiks.
The trade in endangered animals is flourishing in the Middle East, fueled by corruption, ineffective legislation and lax law enforcement.
"It's a problem in the Arab world that we can no longer ignore," said Marguerite Shaarawi, co-founder of the animal rights group Animals Lebanon.
The group is pushing for Lebanon to join the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species, whose signatories are meeting this month in Qatar. It is the first time the 175-nation convention is meeting in an Arab country.
Lebanon and Bahrain are the only Arab countries yet to sign the convention.
Delegates at the U.N. conference are considering nearly four dozen proposals on a range of endangered species from rhinos to polar bears.
John Sellar, chief enforcement officer for CITES, said it is difficult to estimate the extent of the illegal trade in the Arab world, but Animals Lebanon estimates that it is the third largest illegal trade in the region, after weapons and drugs.
"Much of the illegal trade that takes place here is of a specialized nature," Sellar said, citing the example of prize falcons, kept by many Arab sheiks in desert encampments, particularly in the United Arab Emirates.
"We've also seen some smuggling of very exotic species ... like very rare parrots, young chimpanzees, gorillas and leopards that seem to be for the private collections of some of the rich individuals in the Gulf area," he said.
Several recent incidents have underscored the plight of animals in Lebanon — a country where the only law that refers to animal rights stipulates that anyone who purposely harms an animal has to pay a fine of up to $15.
Willem Wijnstekers, the secretary-general of CITES, said countries must have strong laws in place to discourage animal smuggling. Otherwise, he said, smugglers will simply see the penalties as part of the cost of doing business, and not a deterrent.
In December 2009, Animals Lebanon began a campaign against Egypt's Monte Carlo Circus after it received a tip that the circus animals — six lions and three tigers — did not have proper certificates and had not received water or food during the six-day trip from Egypt to Lebanon.
The group sent several activists and a veterinarian to the circus grounds to investigate, and they reported the animals were malnourished and that one cub had been de-clawed.
The circus was declared illegal in January after Agriculture Minister Hussein Hajj Hassan sent the ministry's own experts to investigate, but the circus has appealed. While the case continues, the circus is still giving daily performances attended by small crowds.
"The case of the circus, and the trade of the lions and tigers, highlighted the urgent need to have Lebanon join CITES and protect these endangered species," Hajj Hassan said.
A circus employee at a recent performance denied the animals were treated badly.
"They say we are not feeding them. Look at them, do they look hungry to you?" the employee asked the audience as lions and tigers dutifully performed acrobatics around a caged tent near a highway just north of Beirut.
There was no official comment from the circus.
The animals looked healthy at the performance, weeks after the allegations were made.
In February 2009, Animals Lebanon managed to close down a zoo and rescue its 42 neglected and dying animals that had become a health hazard to its neighbors.
The starving animals languishing in dirty, rusty cages included bears, jackals, a chimpanzee, monkeys and a vulture that had apparently spent years tied by a chain that prevented it from flying or moving out of its cage, which measured just 20 square feet (2 square meters).
"The lion and chimpanzee died, but we flew the monkeys to a sanctuary in Wales and two bears to a sanctuary in Turkey," Shaarawi said. "I cannot describe the happiness I feel when we are able to rescue abused animals and find new homes for them."
In September, a 2-year-old lion cub was rescued by members of another local animal welfare organization after he was apparently abandoned off the main road in Beirut by the owner of the pet shop that imported him.
The severely dehydrated "King of the Jungle" was emaciated and malnourished with open sores on his body, according to Beta, the organization that rescued him. Beta tried to save the animal — which the group named Adam — but it died shortly after it was found.
There are similar problems across the region.
In Egypt, a gateway from Africa to the Middle East, there is a flourishing chimpanzee trade and exotic animals are frequently smuggled in and out. The owners are believed to bribe airport officials to look away.
Last year, panic broke out on a flight from the United Arab Emirates to Egypt when a foot-long baby crocodile wriggled out of a passenger's hand luggage.
In blockaded Gaza, residents smuggle animals through tunnels that link the territory to Egypt to supply their private zoos. Smugglers proudly speak of hauling lions, monkeys and exotic birds through the underground passageways, making deals with animal smugglers in Egypt.
Most animals are drugged first, but in a particularly cruel practice, zoo owners usually rip out the teeth of lions to ensure they don't bite visitors.
Activists say many of the pet shops in Lebanon are unlicensed and keep the animals in appalling conditions without proper health care.
One pet shop owner who identified himself only by his first name, Elie, to avoid "trouble" from activists, scoffed at the allegations.
"Everything in here is legal," he says of the dogs, cats, parrots and rabbits he sells. Asked whether it was fair to keep a puppy locked up in a cage the size of a bird cage, he shrugged: "They are fine. It is only until I sell them."
___
Associated Press writers Diaa Hadid in Gaza and Sarah El Deeb in Cairo contributed to this report.
___
On the Net:
http://www.animalslebanon.org/
http://betalebanon.org/
http://www.cites.org/
___
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100317/ap_on_re_mi_ea/ml_un_smuggling_animals
Monday, February 22, 2010
Man bailed as lemurs seized in Banbridge and Ballymena
Sunday, 21 February 2010A man has been released on bail after being arrested in connection with the illegal trading of primates.
Four lemurs were seized on Friday from a shopping centre carpark in Banbridge, and another from a shop in Ballymena.
They are protected under the UN Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species.
The five seized animals are a mix of ring tailed and white fronted brown lemurs. Lemurs are native to the island of Madagascar.
The USPCA said rare animals are being sold illegally to purchasers "whose knowledge about their specific requirements is at best nominal, at worst non-existent".
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/8527153.stm
(Submitted by Joe McNally)
Friday, January 22, 2010
Monkey Business
Cracking genetic codes has helped fight chimp smuggling, researchers said. DNA signatures can also be used to reunite rescued chimps with relatives in the wild. By studying rescued creatures, researchers mapped smuggling routes - allowing officials to better targer dealers. 'Up to ten chimps are killed for every one rescued,' said Prof Mary Gonder of New York's Albany University.
Metro UK, 22 January, p17.
Metro Herald Ireland, 22 January 2010, p8.
Metro UK, 22 January, p17.
Metro Herald Ireland, 22 January 2010, p8.
Monday, January 4, 2010
Couple taped up tortoises to smuggle into Britain
A couple kept seven wild tortoises in a hotel room while holidaying on a Greek island then tried to smuggle them into the UK, a court heard today.
Published: 3:54PM GMT 04 Jan 2010
Herpetologist Michael Mates and his partner Carol Wormley, both 42 and from Walthamstow, east London, returned from Corfu with the animals hidden in luggage, magistrates in Harlow, Essex, were told.
Both were ordered to carry out unpaid work and banned from keeping reptiles for 10 years after admitting breaking laws designed to protect wildlife.
Prosecutor Angela Hughes said the Hermann's Tortoises had been taken from their natural habitat in Corfu then packed in bags and suitcases. She said one was taped to stop it moving around.
Miss Hughes said the couple kept the creatures in a hotel room before taking them on to a plane and flying to Stansted.
She told the court that both were arrested when they landed at the airport in July.
Magistrates were told that Gates was a herpetologist who had a collection of reptiles.
Jeremy Sirrell, for Gates, said his client had been trying to rescue the tortoises after seeing them treated cruelly and had not intended to sell them.
Mr Sirrell said while on holiday Gates had picked up tortoises he saw being kicked around by boys, then bought more from a ''woman selling flowers''.
He said Gates had been ''stupid'' by deciding to bring the tortoises home instead of going through proper channels.
David Dadds, for Wormley, said his client had ''gone along'' with Gates' wishes and had not understood that what she was doing was wrong.
Gates, who worked as a driver, admitted causing unnecessary suffering, failing to ensure animals' needs were met and transporting live animals taken from the wild. He was ordered to carrying out 150 hours of unpaid work. Wormley, who worked in the retail industry, admitted failing to ensure animals' needs were met and transporting live animals taken from the wild. She was ordered to carry out 80 hours of unpaid work.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/6932083/Couple-taped-up-tortoises-to-smuggle-into-Britain.html
Published: 3:54PM GMT 04 Jan 2010
Herpetologist Michael Mates and his partner Carol Wormley, both 42 and from Walthamstow, east London, returned from Corfu with the animals hidden in luggage, magistrates in Harlow, Essex, were told.
Both were ordered to carry out unpaid work and banned from keeping reptiles for 10 years after admitting breaking laws designed to protect wildlife.
Prosecutor Angela Hughes said the Hermann's Tortoises had been taken from their natural habitat in Corfu then packed in bags and suitcases. She said one was taped to stop it moving around.
Miss Hughes said the couple kept the creatures in a hotel room before taking them on to a plane and flying to Stansted.
She told the court that both were arrested when they landed at the airport in July.
Magistrates were told that Gates was a herpetologist who had a collection of reptiles.
Jeremy Sirrell, for Gates, said his client had been trying to rescue the tortoises after seeing them treated cruelly and had not intended to sell them.
Mr Sirrell said while on holiday Gates had picked up tortoises he saw being kicked around by boys, then bought more from a ''woman selling flowers''.
He said Gates had been ''stupid'' by deciding to bring the tortoises home instead of going through proper channels.
David Dadds, for Wormley, said his client had ''gone along'' with Gates' wishes and had not understood that what she was doing was wrong.
Gates, who worked as a driver, admitted causing unnecessary suffering, failing to ensure animals' needs were met and transporting live animals taken from the wild. He was ordered to carrying out 150 hours of unpaid work. Wormley, who worked in the retail industry, admitted failing to ensure animals' needs were met and transporting live animals taken from the wild. She was ordered to carry out 80 hours of unpaid work.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/6932083/Couple-taped-up-tortoises-to-smuggle-into-Britain.html
Monday, November 23, 2009
Smuggler ties 15 lizards to his chest
Customs officials find live lizards strapped to man's chest at Los Angeles International Airport
By TOM PHILLIPS - Monday, November 23, 2009
The annals of unusual animal smuggling attempts got another entry on Friday, when officials arrested a man who strapped 15 live lizards to his chest as he tried to get them through customs at Los Angeles International Airport.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said on Friday that 40-year-old Michael Plank of California was returning from Australia when U.S. Customs agents found two geckos, two monitor lizards and 11 skinks fastened to his body Tuesday.
Plank has been released on $10,000 (around £6,030) bond and will be arraigned in a federal court on December 21.
Authorities say the lizards' value totals more than $8,500 (about £5,125). All Australian reptiles are strictly regulated and Plank did not have a permit to import them, let alone strap them to his chest.
http://www.metro.co.uk/weird/article.html?Smuggler_ties_15_lizards_to_his_chest&in_article_id=775639&in_page_id=2
By TOM PHILLIPS - Monday, November 23, 2009
The annals of unusual animal smuggling attempts got another entry on Friday, when officials arrested a man who strapped 15 live lizards to his chest as he tried to get them through customs at Los Angeles International Airport.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said on Friday that 40-year-old Michael Plank of California was returning from Australia when U.S. Customs agents found two geckos, two monitor lizards and 11 skinks fastened to his body Tuesday.
Plank has been released on $10,000 (around £6,030) bond and will be arraigned in a federal court on December 21.
Authorities say the lizards' value totals more than $8,500 (about £5,125). All Australian reptiles are strictly regulated and Plank did not have a permit to import them, let alone strap them to his chest.
http://www.metro.co.uk/weird/article.html?Smuggler_ties_15_lizards_to_his_chest&in_article_id=775639&in_page_id=2
Smuggler ties 15 lizards to his chest
Customs officials find live lizards strapped to man's chest at Los Angeles International Airport
By TOM PHILLIPS - Monday, November 23, 2009
The annals of unusual animal smuggling attempts got another entry on Friday, when officials arrested a man who strapped 15 live lizards to his chest as he tried to get them through customs at Los Angeles International Airport.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said on Friday that 40-year-old Michael Plank of California was returning from Australia when U.S. Customs agents found two geckos, two monitor lizards and 11 skinks fastened to his body Tuesday.
Plank has been released on $10,000 (around £6,030) bond and will be arraigned in a federal court on December 21.
Authorities say the lizards' value totals more than $8,500 (about £5,125). All Australian reptiles are strictly regulated and Plank did not have a permit to import them, let alone strap them to his chest.
http://www.metro.co.uk/weird/article.html?Smuggler_ties_15_lizards_to_his_chest&in_article_id=775639&in_page_id=2
By TOM PHILLIPS - Monday, November 23, 2009
The annals of unusual animal smuggling attempts got another entry on Friday, when officials arrested a man who strapped 15 live lizards to his chest as he tried to get them through customs at Los Angeles International Airport.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said on Friday that 40-year-old Michael Plank of California was returning from Australia when U.S. Customs agents found two geckos, two monitor lizards and 11 skinks fastened to his body Tuesday.
Plank has been released on $10,000 (around £6,030) bond and will be arraigned in a federal court on December 21.
Authorities say the lizards' value totals more than $8,500 (about £5,125). All Australian reptiles are strictly regulated and Plank did not have a permit to import them, let alone strap them to his chest.
http://www.metro.co.uk/weird/article.html?Smuggler_ties_15_lizards_to_his_chest&in_article_id=775639&in_page_id=2
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