Police Uncover 700 Illegal Wildlife Trade Cases
Author:
First published in Sanctuary Asia,
Vol. 32
No. 4,
April 2012
Around 100,000 police officers were sent to inspect 5,962 markets during the crackdown, the dates of which have not been revealed by authorities. They busted 13 gangs, punished 1,031 illegal traders, seized over 130,000 wild animals and 2,000 animal products worth nearly seven million yuan ($1.11 million), according to a statement posted on the administration's website.
Police officers also shut down 7,155 high-street shops and 628 websites selling banned animals and removed 1,607 related online messages, it added.
Illegal wildlife trade has been rampant in some parts of the country in recent years, triggering complaints from domestic and foreign wildlife advocacy groups. Read the full report here.
Source: China Daily US, Beijing.
