China News Service, Guangzhou, December 2 (Tang Guijiang Guan Yue) A reporter learned from Guangzhou Customs on the 2nd that the Anti-Smuggling Bureau of Guangzhou Customs uncovered an entry case of smuggling stony corals, arrested 3 suspects, and seized the smuggling of live stony corals on the spot. 176 Strain.
It has been identified that 170 of them are my country's national second-class protected animals. These endangered stony corals will be protected and rescued by professional institutions.
Earlier, the Guangzhou Customs Anti-smuggling Bureau found out that merchants illegally trafficked and smuggled imported corals, sea anemones and other live aquatic wild animals based on clues from previous cases.
The anti-smuggling police used the "smart anti-smuggling" system to detect and analyze the "restocking channels" of relevant live animals to point to a smuggling group in Guangxi.
In the early morning of November 4, under the unified command of the Anti-smuggling Bureau of the General Administration of Customs, the Anti-smuggling Bureau of Guangzhou Customs and the Anti-smuggling Bureau of Nanning Customs launched the "1101" special operation against stony coral smuggling, and carried out unified investigations, arrests, and arrests in Guangzhou, Foshan and other places. 3 suspects.
During the operation, the anti-smuggling police arrested one of the persons involved in a rental house in Liwan District, Guangzhou City.
Living stony coral cultivated in the identification institution Photo by Guan Yue
According to the person's account, the smuggling group purchased wild stony corals overseas and kept them in farms, waiting for the opportunity to smuggle them through the border of China and Vietnam, and then transport them to Guangzhou through logistics methods such as truck transportation and sell them to some ornamental aquatic products merchants.
After these businesses buy live aquatic wild animals, they sell them to customers all over the country for illegal benefits through retail methods such as e-commerce platforms.
Most merchants who "order" with smugglers know the state's regulations on endangered animals and plants, but in order to obtain illegal profits, they still have a chance to buy for profit.
During the arrest, the anti-smuggling police found a temporary storage site for stony corals near the houses rented by the smugglers. There were also a large number of stony corals suspected of smuggling, as well as foam boxes and ice bags used for packaging and transportation, as well as packaging and transportation equipment. The conditions for farming and on-site breeding are very simple, and a considerable part of stony corals died during transportation and stocking.
As a marine multicellular invertebrate, stony coral is mainly distributed in tropical and subtropical waters, and is the most important part of coral reefs.
As an endangered wild marine animal under common protection worldwide, any smuggling of stony corals will be held legally responsible.
The reef-building ability of stony coral plays an important role in maintaining the health and stability of the marine ecosystem and the diversity of marine biological species. Illegal smuggling not only destroys the ecological environment, but also easily causes the invasion of some bacteria and viruses.
At present, the case is under further investigation.
(over)