2 Russians arrested for smuggling bear paws
Source: Xinhua |
June 20, 2013, Thursday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
A LARGE number of smuggled bear paws seized by authorities recently has underscored the need for renewed efforts to fight illegal trading of animal parts.
Customs officials in north China's border city of Manzhouli discovered 213 bear paws in a van, the largest amount ever smuggled into China, they said on Monday.
The massive stash indicates that bear paw consumption remains high in China, despite massive campaigns to suppress demand, said Zhang Xiaohai, China director of external affairs at Animal Asia, a Hong Kong-based animal welfare advocacy group.
The officials detected unidentifiable objects hidden in the tires of a Russian van trying to enter China through an inland port on May 22.
Inside the four tires and one spare tire were 213 bear paws, weighing from 200 grams to 1 kilograms each. Customs officials said at least 54 bears were slaughtered to obtain the paws.
Life imprisonment
Legal experts estimated the value of the smuggled paws on the black market at 2.8 million yuan (US$456,960).
The driver of the van and a passenger, both Russians, were arrested and will likely face life imprisonment, according to legal experts.
Bears have been listed as a protected species. Poaching is strictly prohibited and leads to harsh penalties. Smuggled bear paws from Russia, whose dense forests are home to large number of brown bears, have been actively traded in the underground market in China.
Meanwhile, many bear farms in China have been selling paws of dead bears, a practice also prohibited under Chinese law, after extracting the bears' bile to produce traditional Chinese medicine, said Zhang, citing independent investigations by Animal Asia.
According to Chinese law, the smuggling of products derived from land-based wildlife species that are under state protection can trigger investigation. Wrongdoers are subject to harsh penalties.
Authorities in China and Russia have joined efforts in recent years to combat bear paw smuggling.
Border patrol officers in Russia once stopped a truck carrying more than 400 paws on its way to China, according to Russian media reports. Yet cross-border paw trading is so lucrative that some take the risk despite intensive crackdowns.
Customs officials in north China's border city of Manzhouli discovered 213 bear paws in a van, the largest amount ever smuggled into China, they said on Monday.
The massive stash indicates that bear paw consumption remains high in China, despite massive campaigns to suppress demand, said Zhang Xiaohai, China director of external affairs at Animal Asia, a Hong Kong-based animal welfare advocacy group.
The officials detected unidentifiable objects hidden in the tires of a Russian van trying to enter China through an inland port on May 22.
Inside the four tires and one spare tire were 213 bear paws, weighing from 200 grams to 1 kilograms each. Customs officials said at least 54 bears were slaughtered to obtain the paws.
Life imprisonment
Legal experts estimated the value of the smuggled paws on the black market at 2.8 million yuan (US$456,960).
The driver of the van and a passenger, both Russians, were arrested and will likely face life imprisonment, according to legal experts.
Bears have been listed as a protected species. Poaching is strictly prohibited and leads to harsh penalties. Smuggled bear paws from Russia, whose dense forests are home to large number of brown bears, have been actively traded in the underground market in China.
Meanwhile, many bear farms in China have been selling paws of dead bears, a practice also prohibited under Chinese law, after extracting the bears' bile to produce traditional Chinese medicine, said Zhang, citing independent investigations by Animal Asia.
According to Chinese law, the smuggling of products derived from land-based wildlife species that are under state protection can trigger investigation. Wrongdoers are subject to harsh penalties.
Authorities in China and Russia have joined efforts in recent years to combat bear paw smuggling.
Border patrol officers in Russia once stopped a truck carrying more than 400 paws on its way to China, according to Russian media reports. Yet cross-border paw trading is so lucrative that some take the risk despite intensive crackdowns.
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