Police have arrested two folks suspected of breeding and promoting unique cats in Spain.
Officers detained the pair at a property in Manacor, on the island of Majorca, after discovering 19 unique cats together with a desert lynx and two servals, in response to an announcement from the Guardia Civil on Monday.
“The detainees offered completely different animal species resembling white tigers, black leopards, hyenas and pumas to completely different components of the world by way of the web,” police mentioned.
Investigators seized in depth documentation in addition to greater than 40 animal passports from Russia, Belarus and China, in addition to two computer systems, three cellphones and two pen drives, in response to the assertion.
“The operation has uncovered a world legal group which included breeders, traffickers and veterinarians,” it added.
The investigation began in March when the character safety service (Seprona) obtained experiences {that a} couple had been breeding unique cats at a property in Majorca earlier than promoting them on-line.
Authorities mentioned that the couple had an “extraordinarily lively” presence on social media and that the breeding operation in Majorca was simply “the tip of the iceberg.”
The arrests in Majorca had been simply the “tip of the iceberg” in a world wildlife trafficking conspiracy, mentioned the Guardia Civil. – Civil Guard
The couple are accused of being a part of a world wildlife trafficking community that noticed the vast majority of animals being smuggled into the European Union from Russia, Belarus and Ukraine by way of the Poland-Belarus border, in response to the Guardia Civil.
Species supplied on the market included a clouded leopard with an asking worth of 60,000 euros ($68,000), police mentioned.
The seized animals, which included 16 combined breeds, have been quickly positioned on the Safari Zoo de Son Servera in Majorca.
They may later be completely rehomed in Alicante, mainland Spain.
These species require a lot of area and will also be harmful to people, the Guardia Civil mentioned.
Because of this, traffickers have began making an attempt to breed species resembling desert lynx with home cats with a purpose to produce unique however much less harmful animals, added the assertion.
The entire seized animals are protected by the Conference on Worldwide Commerce in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), a world settlement for the safety of sure species.
The couple are accused of wildlife crimes, smuggling, falsifying paperwork and legal conspiracy.
In response to the Worldwide Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), the European Union is regarded as the third largest vacation spot for unlawful wildlife in addition to “an important transit hub for unlawful wildlife commerce.”
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