Police in Ards have been working with the National Wildlife Crime Unit as part of an investigation into trade of rare endangered plants Inspector Jonathan Francey said: “A few months ago, we conducted a number of searches in the Comber area in relation the trade of rare endangered plants. As a result of these searches […]

Michael Hegarty, 40, an Irish national, pled guilty on Friday, September 29, 2017 in U.S. District Court in Miami to fraudulently facilitating the transportation and concealment of a Libation Cup carved from an endangered rhinoceros horn, that was illegally smuggled from the United States to Great Britain.   The guilty plea was announced by Assistant Attorney General […]

Trade in fins, meat and other products from silky and thresher sharks subject to strict regulation starting 4th October 2017 Geneva, 4 October 2017 – The wait is over. As of today, international trade in silky and thresher sharks will be regulated through strict CITES trade controls. As such, any trade in these species from this […]

On Friday, 1 September, Peter Bailey, 65 (03.04.52) of Chale Road, Lambeth was found guilty at Inner London Crown Court of six offences as follows: – four counts of keeping Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species items for sale (endangered primate skulls, leopard skulls and bear skulls); – one count of offering Convention on […]

In 2015, with the support of the European Commission within the framework of the European Union Action Plan against wildlife trafficking, Europol initiated Operation LAKE, alongside several law enforcement agencies from France, Greece, Italy, Portugal, Spain, United Kingdom, as well as Eurojust. Operation LAKE is the most important European initiative aimed at combating trafficking of […]

New online tools aim to save endangered animals, but experts say there are no easy shortcuts. A recent raid on an online trader in Indonesia rescued 19 endangered Javan slow lorises. In a few small, cramped crates, 19 slow lorises were about to be shipped far from their rainforest home in West Java, Indonesia — […]

Following a joint operation by Derbyshire police, the National Wildlife Crime Unit and Border Force, a 30-year-old man has been reported for offences relating to the prohibited sale and export of elephant ivory.  In October last year, officers from Border Force stopped and searched a number of packages containing carvings made from elephant ivory.  The […]

May 2017 – around 40 Police Wildlife Crime Officers from northern police forces – plus specialist CPS Prosecutors – recently attended a training day hosted by Leeds Discovery Centre.  The event was aimed at increasing officers’ skills and awareness in dealing with the illegal trade in endangered species. The facilitators included the National Wildlife Crime […]

A shop owner who built up a collection of endangered species, including a turtle shell, a crocodile head and part of a sawfish, has been fined £4,000. Sasko Bezovski, 47 (10.12.68), of Warwick Avenue, Westminster appeared at Hammersmith and Fulham Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday, 19 April. He pleaded guilty to a charge of purchasing, offering […]

On 7 April 2017, Phillip Cullen, 57, of Cadbury Heath, Bristol, was given a six-month sentence, suspended for two years, at Bristol Magistrates Court. On the 16 March 2016, Cullen had been found guilty of six charges contrary to the Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2010 relating to the capturing, killing and possession of […]