Almost 1,500 turtles "crammed like sardines" into suitcases (Pig-nosed or Fly-River turtles) via Herp Digest

TRAFFIC in Enforcement, Herpetological, Smuggling in Asia
Chris R. Shepherd / TRAFFIC Southeast Asia Jakarta, Indonesia, 26 January, 2012

Close to 1,500 live Pig-nosed Turtles were seized yesterday in Mopah Airport, Merauke, in Papua Province, Indonesia. The 1,495 turtles were concealed inside two suitcases en route to Jakarta, the nation's capital and a major hub for illicit wildlife trade.

Valued as pets, and possibly consumed as meat in some countries, Pig-nosed Turtles are smuggled out of Indonesia by the thousands. Sources allege that shipments such as this one are common, with dealers in Jakarta buying the turtles from hunters and agents in Papua, then selling them on to dealers and retailers abroad.

Many are destined for the pet markets of East Asia, to places such as Hong Kong, where demand for this species is rising. The turtles are often concealed in shipments of tropical aquarium fish. There are also indications that many of the turtles are bound for the kitchen table, or to be used in traditional medicines.

Pig-nosed Turtles Carettochelys insculpta are totally protected in Indonesia, making collection for export illegal. Yet the trade large scale persists. Close to 3,500 Pig-nosed Turtles were seized in February 2010 in Jakarta, while in October last year, more than 600 seized in Hong Kong were returned to Indonesia for reintroduction to the wild. Most, however, once removed from their native habitat, never make it back. The authorities involved in intercepting this shipment are to be congratulated" said Chris R. Shepherd, Deputy Regional Director of TRAFFIC Southeast Asia. “However, the fact that dealers continue to smuggle shipments of this size indicates a serious problem in Indonesia, where illegal reptile trade is rife."

Pig-nosed Turtles are listed in Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), which requires permits for all international trade and for the animals to have been obtained in accordance with national legislation. The Pig-nosed Turtle is threatened by habitat degradation and by illegal and unsustainable harvest for local consumption and international trade. It is listed as Vulnerable to extinction in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

Jakarta-renowned illegal wildlife trade hub observations by TRAFFIC in December 2011 of three wildlife markets and a reptile expo in Indonesia's capital, Jakarta, found a host of protected and endangered turtles and tortoises openly for sale, plus other protected species of reptiles, mammals and birds. Among them were 19 Green Turtles Chelonia mydas and eight Malaysian Giant Turtles Orlitia borneensis, both listed as Endangered by IUCN and Totally Protected in Indonesia. A host of non-native species were also seen, including a single Ploughshare Tortoise Astrochelys yniphora and 10 Radiated Tortoises Astrochelys radiata, both Critically Endangered species endemic to Madagascar and listed in Appendix I of CITES, meaning international commercial trade in them is prohibited. “Illegal and unsustainable trade in turtles and other reptiles in Indonesia is a serious threat to the conservation of many species. Indonesia's enforcement agencies must take firm action against traders in Indonesia flouting the law," said Shepherd.

String of smuggling attempts foiled in Jakarta

Hundreds of turtles and lizards found

December 2011: A string of smuggling attempts have been stopped in Indonesia at the country's largest and busiest airport, including a case of three slow lorises stuffed into socks and hidden under a trafficker's clothes.

Officers at Jakarta's Soekarno-Hatta International Airport have also reported the seizures of hundreds of turtles and lizards, and dozens of snakes, from smugglers attempting to import and export the animals.


Discovered lorises stuffed into man's socks
Authorities stopped a Saudi Arabian national who was about to board a flight and found three slow lorises stuffed into socks and tied under his clothes, TRAFFIC has been told. The primates are now under veterinary care.

On the same day authorities were shocked a second time to find 48 reptiles in two boxes. The animals had been stuffed into plastic tubes or covered in cloth inside the boxes belonging to a Russian national who was attempting to take the animals out of the country.

The suspect had packed 15 Salefin lizards, nine green tree pythons and eight Timor pythons Python timorensis. There were also seven emerald tree monitors, three peach-throat monitors, two each of New Guinea monitor lizardss, black tree monitors and blue-spotted tree monitors. At least 12 animals in the shipment were dead by the time they were found.

One smuggler brought in 10 Nile crocodiles
Earlier in the month, a man was arrested for illegally importing 464 tortoises, 10 Nile crocodiles, 78 snakes and 254 lizards. Among the tortoises were about 100 Egyptian Tortoises and of the lizards confiscated a number were the Egyptian spiny-tailed lizard, a species heavily traded as an exotic pet. The animals were packed in bags and hidden in suitcases which had come into the country on a flight from Egypt.

Almost 30 per cent of the animals were dead when authorities opened the man's bag to reveal the stunning array of smuggled reptiles hidden within. Those that survived are currently under the care of the Quarantine Department and the suspect is under investigation.

Air travel is being used to traffic animals quickly
Airport officials were again successful in stopping a smuggler and his shipment of 61 Indian star tortoises and African spurred tortoises and two snakes, packed in suitcases. At least some of the tortoises, which came in a shipment originating in Thailand, were packed in plastic detergent containers. Authorities are seeking assistance to repatriate the animals.

‘These seizures highlight two crucial problems that need urgent attention-the phenomenal scale of the trade through Soekarno-Hatta International airport and how air travel is being used to traffic wildlife rapidly across the globe,' said Chris Shepherd, deputy regional director of TRAFFIC Southeast Asia.

‘But they also point to an encouraging trend, one where Customs, Quarantine and Airport security are stepping up efforts against illegal wildlife trade. TRAFFIC strongly urges Indonesia to ensure these enforcement efforts are followed through with thorough investigations down the entire trade chain and end in the conviction of the criminals involved,' he added.

http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/smuggling-wildlife2011.html

Wildlife trade – Smuggling big cats to the Middle East

Wildlife trade –A real threat to Africa’s wildlife October 2011: It is estimated that the illegal trade in wildlife is the second largest illegal market in the world, after drugs. Immense and increasingly sophisticated illegal trade in wildlife parts and live wildlife, coupled with antiquated enforcement methods, are decimating much of the world’s wildlife on a scale never before seen.

Wildlife Conservation Society conservationist Elizabeth Bennett. says that much of the trade is driven by wealthy East Asian markets that have a seemingly insatiable appetite for wildlife parts.

'We are rapidly losing big, spectacular animals'
According to her report, organised crime syndicates using sophisticated smuggling operations have penetrated even previously secure wildlife populations. Some of the elaborate methods include: hidden compartments in shipping containers; rapidly changing of smuggling routes; and the use of e-commerce whose locations are difficult to detect.

Live wildlife trade to the Middle East
Charity Born Free Ethiopia have set up a wildlife rescue centre to care for some of the animals being confiscated from traders and others in Ethiopia.

Stephen Brend, Project Director of Born Free Ethiopia, comments on wildlife trade issues: “The thinking behind establishing Ensessakotteh, our Wildlife Rescue, Conservation and Education Centre in Ethiopia, was not just to save animals from being kept, often illegally, in appalling conditions. If we are to be truly successful, in addition to saving those animals, we also need to stop wildlife trafficking full stop. Recent news suggests we have our work more than cut out for us."

Somalia a hub for wildlife trade
UN forces in Somalia recently confiscated two lion cubs that were already on a ship leaving the country. Born Free Foundation was prepared to help with their rescue and relocation, but the UN handled the situation and the lions were moved to South Africa. Unfortunately, Somalia is so lawless we have no real idea how many animals pass through there.

Demand for cheetah cubs
We do know, however, there is a huge demand for cheetah cubs in the Middle East. At least 20 have been smuggled from Ethiopia this year – and these are the ones we are aware of. There is no way the already-small wild population can withstand losses like that, so the situation is critical.

We are continuing to work with the Wildlife Conservation Authority in Ethiopia to try to increase the effectiveness of law enforcement both within the country and at border points. As the rescue of four little cheetahs in January shows, the system can work. We just need it to work more often.

Born Free Ethiopia is currently raising funds to rescue four more large, male lions and bring them to Ensessakotteh – find out more and help here      
http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/cheetah-for-sale.html

111 pangolins seized on a boat off Sumatra

Indonesia foils pangolin smuggling attempt
October 2011. Marine police in North Sumatra have seized over a hundred pangolins and arrested three men who were en route to Malaysia with the animals.

The Sunda Pangolins, hidden in 20 gunny sacks, were found in a boat seized in waters off Belawan. The smugglers were believed to have left from Pantai Cermin, a popular holiday beach resort near Medan.

111 pangolins seized
Head of the Belawan Nature Conservation Agency Joni Pasaribu said authorities found 111 pangolins in the gunny sacks; three had died while two babies were found still alive. The pangolins will be released into the wild as soon as possible, he told TRAFFIC Southeast Asia. The seizure is the latest in a number of foiled attempts to smuggle pangolins out of Indonesia.

Huge seizure in May
Just one week ago, authorities disposed off a massive shipment of dead pangolins and scales that was confiscated by Indonesian Customs at the Belawan International Container Terminal in May this year.

The 5.9 tonnes of pangolin meat (representing 1,795 individuals) and 790 kg of scales were buried in a landfill in Terjun, Medan. The pangolins were found hidden with several tonnes of snakehead fishChanna spp and Asiatic Softshell Turtle meat Amyda cartilaginea, all bound for Viet Nam, with news reports quoting M. Ranu Subroto SH, Head of the District Prosecutor General's office as saying three local men had been arrested. The suspects were detained for allegedly falsifying shipping documents.

Also in May this year, Indonesian Customs discovered another Viet Nam bound shipment of pangolin meat and scales totalling 7.5 tonnes, at the Tanjung Priok Port in north Jakarta.

On 10th July, Customs officers at Jakarta's Sukarno-Hatta Airport seized a shipment of 1,732 kg of pangolin meat and a further 380 kg of pangolin scales.

Protected species
Pangolins in Asia are protected species in all range states and international trade is not permitted under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).

"Sumatra remains a major source of pangolins and other wildlife entering the global illegal black market," said Chris R. Shepherd, Deputy Regional Director of TRAFFIC Southeast Asia.

"The number of pangolins falling victim to this trade has reached ridiculous levels. There is no way quantities like these will leave wild populations unaffected.

"While the seizures and arrests are an important part of the fight against the illegal trade, Sumatra's authorities need to do much more to get at the heart of this problem. They must find the warehouses, break the smuggling networks and put the kingpins in jail," he said.

http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/sumatra-pangolin.html

Indonesian wildlife smuggler arrested - again

Animals were hidden in cloth sacks in modified suitcases

August 2011: A known Indonesian wildlife dealer has been caught attempting to smuggle 18 protected echidnas - rare egg-laying mammals - out of their native Papua province.

The suspect is a registered wildlife trader who was apparently attempting to send the animals on a plane to the country's capital, Jakarta, without the necessary permits.


The seizure took place at the end of last month in Merauke, Papua Province, one of the easternmost towns in Indonesia. The seizure was made by the Natural Resources Conservation Agency of Indonesia.

Pythons and lizards also seized
The shipment also included two carpet pythons, three amethyst pythons, two frilled lizards and six monitor lizards.

Echidnas and frilled lizards are fully protected in Indonesia, while the two python species may be traded under quota with permits, although none had been acquired in this case. It is unclear which monitor lizard species were seized.

The animals were packed in cloth sacks and hidden in modified compartments in two suitcases, to be checked in at the airport. However, airport officials sensed something was amiss and inspected the bags, discovering the live animals inside.

Although reptiles are often involved in such smuggling cases, the echidnas are a less frequently traded commodity. All the animals will be quarantined and released back into the wild.

Still under investigation after last offence
This is not the first time the suspect has attempted to smuggle wildlife. Indonesian press reports quote the head of Merauke District I Natural Resources Conservation office, Oktavianus Bato Tampak, as saying that the same man was arrested last June for attempting to smuggle monitor lizards and snakes, and was still under investigation for that offence.

‘Indonesia is a major source of wildlife illegally entering international trade,' said Chris Shepherd, deputy regional director of TRAFFIC Southeast Asia.

‘We encourage the authorities to investigate both the individual caught in Merauke, and also the intended recipients in Jakarta. It's the dealers based in Jakarta who are behind the large-scale smuggling of wildlife to buyers world-wide and who are responsible for Indonesia gaining its reputation as an illegal trade hub.

‘The authorities need to put the Jakarta-based dealers out of business once and for all.'

http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/smuggling-echidnas.html#cr

Hundreds of Tortoises Smuggled in Suitcases at Bangkok Airport. (Via Herp Digest)

Hundreds of Tortoises Smuggled in Suitcases at Bangkok Airport.
Posted Sat Jun 11, 2011 12:24pm AEST

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2011/06/11/3241602.htm?section=justin

Customs officials in Thailand have intercepted an illegal shipment of 370 tortoises, hidden in two suitcases that were abandoned at Bangkok's Airport.

It is the second seizure of the protected Indian Star tortoise species at the airport within a week.
Ekalarp Rattanaruja from the Thai Customs Department says smugglers are trying new methods to outwit officials.

"Nowadays the smugglers keep changing their tactics," he said.

"Sometimes they leave them in Lost and Found, sometimes they just try to carry them through. More and more they change their methods and their routes."

Tortoise Smuggling in the UK (Via HerpDigest)

Stansted Airport: Woman arrested in connection with smuggling endangered tortoises into the UK

Monday, May 9, 2011 , Traffic

Fifteen endangered tortoises worth up to £4,500 have been discovered by UK Border Agency officers at Stansted Airport after a passenger tried to smuggle them into the country.

A 54-year-old woman from Plymouth was arrested when she returned from Morocco following a holiday on Sunday (May 8).

The spur-thighed tortoises were found still alive, but underweight and infested with tics, in three cardboard boxes that had been placed in a bag in the hold of the aircraft. The woman was released on bail while UK Border Agency enquiries continue.
The importation of tortoises is restricted under the Convention in International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) and they can only be brought into the UK if the correct permits have been applied for and issued.

Further inquiries by UK Border Agency officers revealed the tortoises did not have the necessary accompanying paperwork and permits.

The tortoises have survived their ordeal and are currently being cared for in quarantine while plans are drawn up for them to be re-housed.

They were seized by UK Border Agency officers under EU Wildlife Trade Regulation Annex A which affords them the highest level of protection for a wildlife species within the EU.

UK Border Agency Assistant Director of Criminal and Financial Investigations, Malcolm Bragg, said: "The illicit trade in endangered animals is a serious contributory factor to the threat of extinction faced by many endangered species.

"This seizure demonstrates the UK Border Agency takes its role in enforcing international agreements and prohibitions designed to protect the natural environment very seriously.

"Anyone tempted to trade in protected creatures and plants should think again and companies need to make sure they have the right paperwork before they import exotic animals into the UK. I also urge holiday makers to ensure the souvenirs they buy do not contribute to this problem because these creatures can carry diseases."

Tortoise smuggling is one of the five CITES priorities for the UK Border Agency in 2011

Five held in elephant-smuggling probe in India

Five people were arrested and three wild elephants seized as Indian police busted an elephant-smuggling ring in north-eastern Assam, officials said today.


Police official PK Dutta said documents seized during the operation showed that the gang had smuggled at least 92 elephants from the north-eastern state to other parts of India over the past five years.

Selling elephants is barred under Indian law and even getting permission to move domesticated elephants between states is a lengthy procedure.

Nevertheless, authorities say there remains a thriving trade in elephants, with many wealthy landowners in the states of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh buying the animals as status symbols.

Authorities said the elephants are usually transported by truck. The smugglers are suspected of colluding with forestry officials, who have checkpoints along the major roads to prevent this type of smuggling.

Police investigated the ring after a local conservation group, the Green Heart Nature Club, filed a written complaint last week, Mr Dutta said.

After a three-day operation, authorities arrested five people and took custody of the three wild elephants, which did not have the identifying microchip implants required of all domesticated elephants, he said.

The group planned to smuggle as many as 10 elephants out in its latest operation, Mr Dutta added.

The smugglers regularly captured wild elephants from the forests of Assam, trained them for a year or two, and then claimed they were the offspring of the state's many domestic elephants, he said.

Wildlife authorities in Assam, home to more than 5,000 wild Asiatic elephants, denied the existence of the illegal elephant trade.

"We are examining the matter, but I can say there is no smuggling of elephants out of Assam," said Suresh Chand, the state's chief wildlife warden.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/five-held-in-elephantsmuggling-probe-in-india-2122109.html

Five held in elephant-smuggling probe in India

Five people were arrested and three wild elephants seized as Indian police busted an elephant-smuggling ring in north-eastern Assam, officials said today.


Police official PK Dutta said documents seized during the operation showed that the gang had smuggled at least 92 elephants from the north-eastern state to other parts of India over the past five years.

Selling elephants is barred under Indian law and even getting permission to move domesticated elephants between states is a lengthy procedure.

Nevertheless, authorities say there remains a thriving trade in elephants, with many wealthy landowners in the states of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh buying the animals as status symbols.

Authorities said the elephants are usually transported by truck. The smugglers are suspected of colluding with forestry officials, who have checkpoints along the major roads to prevent this type of smuggling.

Police investigated the ring after a local conservation group, the Green Heart Nature Club, filed a written complaint last week, Mr Dutta said.

After a three-day operation, authorities arrested five people and took custody of the three wild elephants, which did not have the identifying microchip implants required of all domesticated elephants, he said.

The group planned to smuggle as many as 10 elephants out in its latest operation, Mr Dutta added.

The smugglers regularly captured wild elephants from the forests of Assam, trained them for a year or two, and then claimed they were the offspring of the state's many domestic elephants, he said.

Wildlife authorities in Assam, home to more than 5,000 wild Asiatic elephants, denied the existence of the illegal elephant trade.

"We are examining the matter, but I can say there is no smuggling of elephants out of Assam," said Suresh Chand, the state's chief wildlife warden.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/five-held-in-elephantsmuggling-probe-in-india-2122109.html