No End To Illegal Animal Trafficking
(ANIMAL TRAFFICKING) As affluence spreads and transport and trade
links improve worldwide, the cases of illegal animal trafficking
continue to rise. In particular, there is a soaring demand from China
and other parts of Asia for rare and endangered animals and animal
products. Although there has been an increase in in the past year of
officials intercepting animal traffickers due to better customs checks,
the sheer number of trafficking cases implies the globalization of
wildlife trade has only picked up. Read more at Global Animal
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| FISH SKIRT: A woman on a flight from Singapore to Melbourne shows the 51 live tropical fish hidden in a specially designed apron under her skirt in this 2005 handout photograph from the Australian Customs Service. Customs officers became suspicious after hearing “flipping” noises coming from the vicinity of her waist, and an examination revealed 15 plastic water-filled bags holding concealed fish. (Reuters) |
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| FROG FILM: This 2004 photo released by Belgian police shows exotic frogs from Panama that were discovered by customs officials in film boxes at Brussels national airport. More than 500 amphibian creatures were smuggled into the country by two Belgian citizens to sell on the black market at about 150 euros each. (Reuters/Ho/Belgian Customs Authorities) |
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| PIGEON PANTS: Live pigeons are pictured, stuffed into the tights of a man, at Melbourne International Airport in this 2009 picture released by Australian Customs. The man, a passenger on a flight from Dubai, was discovered with a live pigeon stuffed in each leg of his tights, as well as two bird eggs, plant seeds and undeclared samples of eggplant after a search by customs and border control officers and was handed over to Australian Quarantine and Inspection Services staff, according to local media. (Reuters/Australian Customs/Handout) |
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| A body search revealed the man was carrying 14 baby pythons in socks taped to his chest |
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| Sneaky plan: The man was arrested for smuggling pythons and lizards strapped to his legs and chest |
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| Detained suspect Sony Dong, with songbirds strapped to his legs at Los Angeles International Airport. He was arrested as he tried to walk out the airport and officials noticed feathers |
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| Peregrine eggs in socks recovered from an egg smuggling operation at Birmingham Airport |
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| A live tiger cub was found drugged and hidden among stuffed-tiger toys in the luggage of a woman at Bangkok's airport, |
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| A man has been sentenced to 16 months imprisonment after he was caught trying to smuggle parrot eggs into Australia -- in a specially made T-shirt. |
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| Photo:Reuters Australian native geckos concealed in a hollowed out book which were seized by Customs officials are seen in the handout photo. |
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| A small bird that was found taped to a passengers’ leg is wrapped in a sock and tape |
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| Photo:Reuters Handout image shows one of two live 40cm-long (16 inches) juvenile emerald green tree boas that Australian customs officials seized at the Melbourne International Mail Centre |
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| Customs and Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service officers have foiled two attempts to smuggle snakes and lizards into Australia through the mail.two snakes and three lizards were concealed in the hollow areas of three ceramic garden gnomes. In the second attempt, five snakes and five lizards were hidden in pottery figures and ornaments. |
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| An air passenger has been caught trying to smuggle more than a dozen live hummingbirds inside his pants. The tiny birds were discovered hidden in special pouches sewn inside the Dutchman's pants at Rochambeau airport in Cayenne, French Guiana. |
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| Underpants containing bird eggs seized by Customs officers at Sydney Airport on 15 October |
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| Bird egg vest seized by Customs officers at Sydney Airport on 16 October |
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Customs finds 52 smuggled bird
eggs on passenger body
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| Penang - NINETY-FOUR pangolins believed to be bound for the cooking pots in the region were seized by the authorities at the cargo complex in Batu Maung, Penang. The importer had shipped the animals in boxes from Sabah and declared them as crabs. |
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| Penang - A shipment declared as papayas was found to contain hundreds of cobras and freshwater turtles worth some RM110,000 (S$45,000) meant for the cooking pot in Hong Kong. |
