Events

Operation Charm and the Olympics

11 August 2008

In August thousands of people from all over the world will converge on Beijing for the Olympic games.

If you are going to China it's natural that you will want to bring back some souvenirs as mementos of your visit to such a fascinating country but please be careful what you buy.

Unfortunately, China provides a market for many products made from endangered species and it is illegal to bring these into the UK. Some traditional medicines are made from tiger bone, rhinoceros horn, bear bile and a number of other less well known but equally endangered species. Bear bile is also used in shampoo and some other cosmetics.

China is also an important market for ivory and products made from reptile skins and animal furs.

The sale of some of these items is legal within China but international trade is banned and you are not allowed to bring them back to the UK so please think carefully before buying and don't rely on what you are told by the seller. To bring anything made from an endangered species into the UK without a government permit is illegal and anybody attempting to do so should expect HM Revenue and Customs officers to seize these items and possibly prosecute. The maximum penalty under the Customs and Excise Management Act 1979 is an unlimited fine or seven years in prison.

China has a rich and varied culture and it is possible to buy a wide range of arts and crafts that do not threaten endangered species so please be sure to buy products that won't buy you trouble. Remember, by buying endangered species products you are helping to fund crime and providing an incentive for others to kill more endangered animals.

You can find out more about this by visiting the UK CITES website at www.ukcites.gov.uk/travel/default.htm.