An undercover operation led to the arrest of five individuals for their roles in illegal international trade of exotic skins and parts manufactured from protected species of wildlife.

External link: http://www.usdoj.gov/opa/pr/2007/September/07_enrd_691.html

Following a rise in demand for tropical fish, a United States company has commercialised a genetically modified fish. According to Canadian law, these animals cannot be imported before an assessment of whether they are potentially toxic has been completed. Illegal imports were quickly detected and, after being informed of the rules, distributors and pet shop owners were very co-operative in recalling the fish.

External link: http://www.ec.gc.ca/EnviroZine/english/issues/67/feature3_e.cfm

An Indian national from Kashmir who owned a luxury store in Bangkok was sentenced on August 27 2007 to two years probation and a USD $ 300 fine. He was illegally importing and selling 'shahtoosh' shawls made from the wool of extremely endangered Tibetan Antelopes.

Three incidents over four days in early July resulted in Kenya Wildlife Service arresting thirteen persons on wildlife and weapons violations along with the recovery of three firearms, 53 rounds ammunition, two powerful "jack light" spotlights, one Land Rover, more than 200 kilograms of contraband "bush meat," one cheetah skin and four elephant tusks.

In one incident, on 8th July, seven Tanzanian professional hunters, plus one Kenyan guide, were intercepted while hunting inside Tsavo West National Park. All eight pleaded guilty to both poaching and firearms charges, and were remanded until 14th August for sentencing. KWS notes that this is not the first incident during which professional hunters have crossed the border. Previous incidents have involved exchanges of gunfire and loss of life.

KWS thinks the hunters crossed into Kenya because wildlife populations on the Tanzania side of the border have been depleted. Lusaka Agreement Task Force and Tanzania National Parks cooperated in the operation.

In another incident, in the early hours of 7th July, three persons were arrested at a police roadblock near Nairobi in possessions of 213 kilograms of illegal wildebeest and zebra meat, believed poached from dispersal areas bordering Nairobi National Park.

Although the three confessed, the court subsequently acquitted them. KWS acknowledges has intensified its intelligence activities concerning illegal "bush meat" because poaching has a negative impact on wildlife populations, and also because public health is jeopardized when unexpected contraband meat is sold for human consumption.

Particular health risks involve both anthrax and Rift Valley fever.

Contraband bush meat sells for 65 Kenya shillings - about U.S. $1 per kilogram.

The third incident occurred on 5th July at Malindi, on the Kenya Coast.

Two persons were arrested. The first arrested was an accused poacher whom KWS had been tracking. The second arrested was a municipal councillor who was accused of inciting the public to prevent the arrest of the accused poacher and the seizure of evidence.

The accused poacher was remanded until 5th August, while the councillor has been convicted and sentenced to a 5,000 Kenya shilling fine (U.S. $70) or two months in prison.

KWS recovered antelope meat, a cheetah skin and four elephant tusks weighing a total of eight kilograms - the tusks had come from very young elephants believed to have been poached on a ranch adjacent to Tsavo East National Park.

Two poachers Gideon and Nicolas Von Deventer were arrested in the KwaZulu-Natal reserve in august 2006 for poaching rhino and illegally trading rhino horns.

During the four months investigation, the police discovered 12 hornless carcasses and among them the ones of a rhino cow and her calf.

The two brothers were sentenced to jail by a Free State court.

For more information http:www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=15&art_id=vn20070729101144291C569986

Tanzanian Police seized 223 elephant tusks at kirama Kirumgule on the city's western outskirts on July the 24th, 2007.
The tusks which were in special boxes were clearly being prepared for export.
The suspect Hamidu Hassan who was caught in the act, claimed not to be the owner of the business.

The owner of the house, David Ismail was not around by the time the police operated.
In June 2006, 350 pieces of elephant tusks valued $ 3, 100, and 778 and shipped from Dar El Salaam were discovered in Kaohsiung, Republic of Korea.

For the Tanzanian officials, this major ivory trade mainly results from a violation of the conditions stipulated in the permits the hunters are given.

For more information http://www.ippmedia.com/ipp/guardian/2007/07/26/95157.htlm

Malaysia's Department of Wildlife and National Parks has verified the seizure of 76 rare leopard tortoises in two parcels sent by air from Tanzania. The parcels were labeled as containing clay pots. Two of the animals arrived dead, apparently due to cramped, substandard transport conditions.

This case is among several recent attempts to smuggle protected species into Malaysia, said Haidar Khan, the acting principal assistant director the department's legislation and enforcement division. The department had contacted the Tanzanian government asking how to repatriate the tortoises.

Mr. Khan said the leopard tortoises sell for the equivalent of U.S. $30 to $200 (depending on size) in local pet shops, with exceptional specimens going for U.S. $300.

If the tortoises could not be sent back to Tanzania, the department would adhere to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) rules, which includes the government keeping them for educational purposes. As the tortoises are not native to Malaysia, they cannot be released into the wild in Malaysia.

The department also verified that this week it is repatriating 385 Indian Star tortoises to India. These are the survivors of an original 404 tortoises smuggled in April.

In that incident, a 34-year-old Indian national was caught with the tortoises in his hand luggage at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport. The wildlife and national parks department believes the smuggler intended to sell the tortoises to pet shops in Malaysia. The distinctive star patterns on the shells of these tortoises makes them attractive to pet keepers, who pay about U.S. $15 for them.

However, the department could take no action against the smuggler other than to deport him. The Malaysia government is presently preparing new legislation that would expand enforcement powers.

This is the third seizure of Indian star tortoises being smuggled from India in recent years. More than 1,000 tortoises were seized in 2003 and 2005. All have been returned to India.

The United States department of Justice has recently reported the case of a Californian man convicted of smuggling Eurasian Eagle Owl eggs into the USA from Austria. After pleading guilty to two counts of smuggling and two counts of making false statements on customs declarations, Judge Marilyn Hall Patel sentenced the man to 21 months in prison, a $5,000 fine, three years of supervised release, a $400 special assessment, and a prohibition during the period of supervised release on contact with any bird requiring a permit, including raptors.

External link:
US Department of Justice - 26/06/2007

The fourth hearing of a case of murder involving illegal hunters alleged to have shot an Ecoguard to death within the Bayang Mbo Wildlife Sanctuary in the South West province, opened at the Bangem High Court on 7 May. The wildlife criminal was arrested on February 2006. The investigation that led to his arrest was led by the Ministry of Forestry and Wildlife with the technical support of the Last Great Ape Organisation (LAGA).

The tribunal of Nguti rendered its verdict yesterday (25 June 2007) and the criminal was sentenced to 25 years in prison. This matter is an extreme priority in the application of Cameroon wildlife legislation and the involvement of magistrates. This verdict will have a positive influence nationally and it will have repercussions among potential poachers and other wildlife criminals. Authorities have said they will remain vigilant and follow the evolution of this matter closely because, according to Cameroon legislation, the criminal has another 10 days to appeal.

Three Chadian rangers were killed by ivory poachers in a shoot-out in Zakouma National Park at 4:00 a.m. Wednesday, 16 May. Poachers also killed three rangers in gun-battles on 11 and 12 January 2007.

A top pharmaceutical researcher, doctor Sian Lim who had been arrested on June the 2nd, 2004, for smuggling more than a 100 rare Malaysian orchids said to be priceless, was sent to jail last year at Isleworth Crown.

The Police report reveals that among the specimens seized, 126 are banned from all trade by Cites.

For more information: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article789425.ece