The tortoises smuggled from Madagascar are very marketable in tortoise farms. He thought he had found a business opportunity and started to buy and sell tortoises——
They are not pets but protected wild animals
Wang Minli Zeng Yanming
Knowing that wild endangered species such as Radiated tortoises, Sulcata tortoises, Hermann’s tortoises, and leopard tortoises smuggled from Madagascar and other places are prohibited by national law, but some people seek to earn illegal profits or satisfy individuals. Like his preferences, he still started the "business" of buying and selling precious and endangered wild animals regardless of risks.
On August 15, the Hanjiang District Court of Yangzhou City, Jiangsu Province prosecuted Ban, Zhang and other defendants who were prosecuted by the Hanjiang District Procuratorate on the illegal sale and purchase of rare and endangered wild animals. All 17 defendants were convicted and sentenced.
Ben is the owner of a pet online shop legally.
By chance, he found Radiated tortoises, Sulcata tortoises, Hermann tortoises smuggled from Madagascar and other places. Because of their beautiful appearance, they are very popular in tortoise enclosures.
He thought he had discovered a "business opportunity" and began to learn about tortoises on the Internet. At the same time, he also learned that these tortoises are international first- and second-class wildlife protected animals. The turtle was sentenced.
But these tortoises are very marketable in tortoise farms, and with a fluke, he still embarked on the road of buying and selling tortoises.
Since September 2017, Ban has used his Baidu Tieba account to post advertisements for the sale of tortoises in each Tortoise Tieba.
Because of its "integrity management, reasonable price" and "worry-free after-sales", after a period of time, it has won a good "word of mouth" in the tortoise business circle, and its customers are located in Tianjin, Shanghai, Shenyang, Shenzhen, Lanzhou, Fuzhou , Wenzhou, Xining, Guiyang, Baoji, Benxi and other places, these tortoise "enthusiasts" added Ban Mou's WeChat to buy tortoises through the ads in Baidu Post Bar. If they feel good, they would recommend them to friends who also like tortoises.
In March 2018, Zhang browsed a post about tortoise trading on Baidu Tieba, which contained popular science about various tortoises. Buyers and sellers also communicated and traded here.
Zhang was attracted by an advertisement selling tortoises. According to the guidelines, he added the WeChat account of the seller Ben.
Through the pictures and videos of Moments, Zhang has a keen interest in these tortoises with bright colors and strange patterns.
After careful selection, he selected a radiated tortoise whose limbs and tail are yellow, and the carapace scutellum is raised and covered with yellow radiation patterns, which looks unique and beautiful.
Zhang also learned on Baidu Tieba that Radiated tortoises are endangered animals and are a species listed in the Convention on the Protection of International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora. The sale and purchase of Radiated tortoises is illegal.
However, under the trend of curiosity and fluke, Zhang still decided to buy and negotiated the price of the transaction with Ban.
Ban sent a link. The baby's name was displayed as "Pure puppet cat of Polish origin", but the buyer and seller knew that the link was a cat, but it was a turtle.
Zhang paid for the photo on time, and Ban also took care of Zhang: "After receiving the goods, take a video of the unpacking. If it is good, help me promote it." Within a few days, Zhang received a "seafood." Ming's courier, he knew, the tortoise purchased had arrived.
Since then, Zhang bought 2 Sulcata tortoises and 1 Hermann tortoise from Ben, and kept them in his dormitory in a hotel in Yangzhou.
The strange tortoise Zhang raised in the dormitory was quickly discovered by the nearby people and reported to the public security organs. The public security organs promptly investigated and followed the line. They not only captured the seller Ben, but also captured the ten who bought the tortoise from Ben. The remaining buyers have solved the illegal purchase and sale of rare and endangered wild animals by 17 people led by Ban, distributed in many parts of the country.
Although these tortoise buyers claimed to buy tortoises purely out of hobby and carefully raised them after they bought them back, these tortoises are tropical tortoises and are not suitable for growing in China. Coupled with express delivery and long-distance transportation, several land turtles are in the meantime. The turtle died.
The court found out after trial that Ban was guilty of illegally selling rare and endangered wild animals, selling a total of 25 tortoises and the sales amount exceeded 110,000 yuan.
After identification, a total of 16 species of Radiated tortoises are listed in Appendix I of the Convention on the Protection of International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, and a total of 16 species are included in Appendix II of the Convention on the Protection of International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora There are 9 tortoises (commonly known as Sulcata tortoises), Hermann tortoises and Leopard tortoises.
my country is a signatory to the above-mentioned "Convention". The terrestrial wild animals listed in Appendix I and Appendix II of the "Convention" that are not native to my country have been approved as national primary and secondary protected wild animals in accordance with the law.
The circumstances of Ban’s family were particularly serious. He was sentenced to ten years’ imprisonment and fined 100,000 yuan in accordance with the law; Zhang and other 16 defendants were sentenced to three years’ imprisonment or criminal detention for the crime of illegally purchasing precious and endangered wild animals. In addition to fines, suspended sentences apply.
On August 30, Ban appealed against the judgment of the first instance.
At present, the second instance of the case is under trial.