Arron William HALSTEAD, 28 yrs of Glen View Road, Burnley appeared at Burnley Magistrates Court on Tuesday 23rd September 2019.  Mr. Halstead was facing 21 charges contrary to the Control of Trade in Endangered Species (Enforcement) Regulations 1997.  The charges related to the prohibited trade of Rhino horns and skull, Tiger skulls and teeth, Elephant […]

Two men who illegally exported carved ivory fans to Hong Kong and America have been sentenced. Guy Buckle, 62 (07.04.57) and Sik-Hung Or, 73 (15.06.46) of Champion Hill, SE5 were each sentenced to 28 months imprisonment at Inner London Crown Court on Monday, 23 September after pleading guilty to three counts of the illegal export […]

Geneva, 26 August 2019 – The most recent global wildlife enforcement operation, codenamed Operation Thunderball, involved 109 countries. It resulted in over 1,800 seizures across all continents and the arrest of close to 600 suspects. Such successful wildlife law-enforcement operations demonstrate what can be achieved when CITES Parties work together to crack down on wildlife crime. […]

A Spalding man faces a possible jail sentence after he pleaded guilty to buying unworked sections of illegal elephant tusks. Slawomir Kazmierczak, 55, also admitted trading in illegal ivory jewellery which he bought on eBay. Kazmierczak, of Redthorne Close, Spalding, will be sentenced in October after a judge said the culling of elephants for profit […]

Thirty monkey skulls have been seized after police raided properties in Devon searching for endangered species. A 52-year-old man from Newton Abbot was interviewed by police in connection with the seizures and released while an investigation is carried out. The macaque skulls were found during raids in Newton Abbot and Torquay. The UK’s National Wildlife […]

On Thursday 1st August 2019, officers from the UK National Wildlife Crime Unit and West Yorkshire investigating the illegal import (from China) and subsequent sale of Siamese Crocodile skulls, executed three search warrants in the Bradford area. As a result of the operation a 26 year old man from the Bradford area was arrested on […]

A joint worldwide customs and police operation has resulted in the seizure of large quantities of protected flora and fauna across every continent. From 4 to 30 June 2019, the World Customs Organization (WCO) and INTERPOL coordinated Operation Thunderball, with police and customs administrations leading joint enforcement operations against wildlife crime across 109 countries.  A […]

On Wednesday 26th June 2019 the UK’s National Wildlife Crime Unit will be hosting a meeting of enforcement agencies from across Europe and North America at the Natural History Museum, London. This meeting, organised by Europol in conjunction with the NWCU, will be examining the illegal trade in eels and looking at how enforcement can continue […]

Officers from the NWCU and the West Midlands Police Wildlife Unit have interviewed a 44 year old man regarding suspected offences contrary to the Control of Trade in Endangered Species Regulations 2018 and the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.  A file is being prepared for consideration by the Crown Prosecution Service.  This relates to an […]

On 4th April 2019, Matthew REYNOLDS, 29, of Gloucester appeared at Cheltenham Magistrates Court where he pleaded guilty to charges contrary to the Control of Trade in Endangered Species (Enforcement) Regulations 1997 relating to the sale of an African Grey Parrot.  Two further charges under the same legislation were not proceeded with. REYNOLDS was given a 6 month curfew […]