A 40-year-old Irish man has been sentenced to 18 months in prison in the United States for his role in smuggling rhinoceros horn. Michael Hegarty, part of international criminal gang the Rathkeale Rovers, pleaded guilty to the charges and was sentenced in a federal court in Miami. Judge Donald Middlebrooks sentenced Hegarty to 18 months […]

A man has been jailed for attempting to sell elephant tusks and rhino horns. Abbas Allawi, 52, (02/02/1965) of Gisburne Way, Hertfordshire was sentenced at Harrow Crown Court on Thursday, 9 November to 14 months’ imprisonment for offences relating to the illegal purchase, keeping for sale and selling parts of endangered species. On Monday, 19 […]

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 […]