All articles tagged with #wildlife trafficking
A Kenyan court sentenced Chinese national Zhang Kequn to 1 million shillings in fines and a 12-month jail term after he was caught attempting to smuggle more than 2,200 live garden ants at Nairobi’s airport; the case, part of a crackdown on ant trafficking linked to demand for formicariums in China, also involves co-defendant Charles Mwangi who is charged but not yet tried.
A Nairobi court sentenced Chinese national Zhang Kequn to one year in jail and fined about 1 million Kenyan shillings ($7,700) for trying to smuggle over 2,200 ants—mostly Messor cephalotes—from Kenya to China and other destinations; he pleaded guilty after the conspiracy charge was dropped. The judge urged a deterrent sentence and ordered repatriation after a 14-day appeal. The case underscores a growing illegal garden-ant trade, with another Kenyan dealer, Charles Mwangi, facing related charges that are still unresolved.
A Chinese national, Zhang Kequn, was sentenced to one year in prison and fined 1 million Kenyan shillings for attempting to smuggle over 2,000 live queen garden ants out of Kenya to China; he pleaded guilty after initially denying the charges, as authorities warn of rising wildlife trafficking and the high value of the ants (about $220 each), with repatriation to his home country after serving the sentence and a possible appeal.
A Kenyan court fined 1 million shillings and sentenced Chinese national Zhang Kequn to 12 months in jail after he was caught at Nairobi’s airport attempting to smuggle about 2,200 live garden ants in his luggage; a co-defendant, Charles Mwangi, is accused of supplying the ants. Wildlife officials say ant trafficking is rising and penalties are used as a deterrent against biopiracy, with several similar cases having occurred in the past.
Indian customs seized two endangered Silvery Gibbons, one dead and one alive, hidden in a checked bag at Mumbai airport, along with nearly 8 kg of illegal weed, highlighting ongoing wildlife smuggling issues.
John Hume, known for breeding the world's largest rhino herd, was arrested in South Africa for allegedly smuggling rhino horns worth $14 million, linked to a scheme involving nearly 1,000 horns and illegal markets in Southeast Asia. The investigation highlights ongoing wildlife trafficking issues and Hume's previous efforts to legalize horn trade to combat poaching.
German customs officials seized approximately 1,500 tarantulas hidden in cake boxes shipped from Vietnam at Cologne Bonn airport, highlighting ongoing wildlife smuggling issues in Europe for profit, with some animals not surviving the trip and criminal proceedings underway against the recipient.
A South Korean man was arrested at Lima's Jorge Chávez International Airport for attempting to smuggle 320 tarantulas, 110 centipedes, and nine bullet ants out of Peru, strapped to his body. The insects, taken from the Madre de Dios region, were found in ziplock bags during a search. The man was en route to South Korea via France and is now under investigation by Peru's environmental crimes prosecutor. The incident highlights ongoing issues with illegal wildlife trafficking in South America.
A South Korean man was arrested at Jorge Chávez International Airport in Peru for attempting to smuggle 320 tarantulas, 110 centipedes, and nine bullet ants back to Korea. The man was caught with the animals strapped to his body, highlighting the ongoing issue of illegal wildlife trafficking, which affects thousands of species globally. An investigation is underway, and the animals are believed to have been sourced from Madre de Dios, Peru.
Travis John Branson pleaded guilty to participating in a scheme to illegally hunt and sell bald and golden eagles, facing up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. His co-defendant, Simon Paul, is still on the run. The men routinely met on the Flathead Indian Reservation in Montana to hunt eagles, selling their parts for significant sums of cash. The killing of bald eagles, a national symbol, was seen as particularly flagrant, and it remains unclear how many of the 3,600 birds killed were eagles.
Travis John Branson is set to plead guilty to participating in a "killing spree" of 3,600 birds, including protected golden and bald eagles, and selling their body parts and feathers on the black market. The birds were killed near the Flathead Indian Reservation in Montana, and Branson's alleged partner, Simon Paul, is also indicted. The charges carry a maximum total of 13 years in prison.
Montana ranch owner Arthur “Jack” Schubarth, 80, pleaded guilty to trafficking sheep parts from Asia to create a larger hybrid species of the threatened Marco Polo argali sheep for financial gain, violating the Lacey Act. He faces up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Schubarth and others aimed to sell the species to captive hunting facilities, using cloned sheep and forging veterinary inspection certificates to move the illegal sheep. The US Fish and Wildlife Service and Montana’s Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks are investigating the case, and Schubarth is set to be sentenced on July 11.
80-year-old Montana man pleads guilty to illegally creating giant hybrid sheep by using genetic material from the largest sheep in the world, the Marco Polo argali sheep, and wild-hunted Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep, in an attempt to sell them to hunting facilities. He faces prison time and hefty fines for violating the Lacey Act, which aims to protect wildlife from illegal trafficking.
An 80-year-old Montana rancher pleaded guilty to illegally creating "giant hybrid sheep" by using genetic material from endangered argali sheep to clone embryos and artificially breed them with other sheep, aiming to sell them to hunting preserves for profit. He also illegally bought genetic material from wild-hunted Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep and sold them across the US, violating international law and the Lacey Act. The rancher faces a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison for each felony count and is scheduled to be sentenced in July.
Montana rancher, Arthur Schubarth, pleaded guilty to illegally using tissue from a Marco Polo argali sheep and a bighorn sheep's testicles to create a hybrid species for sale to hunting preserves in Texas. He was charged with conspiracy to violate the Lacey Act and substantively violating the Lacey Act, which prohibits the trafficking of illegally taken wildlife. The scheme was uncovered after authorities discovered forged veterinary inspection certificates being used to move sheep in and out of Montana.