News

London Police Raid

19 September 2006 / Metorpolitan Police

On 5 June 2006 the Met Police's Wildlife Crime Unit and Trading standards officers executed a search warrant at an address in Lewisham. The premises, a traditional Chinese medicine shop, led to the seizure of approx 200 medicinal products claiming to be made from endangered species including the following:

Tiger, Rhinoceros, Bear, Musk Deer, Seahorse, Monkey and a number of endangered plants.

A further address was searched in Eltham, also a traditional Chinese medicine business premises. A 59 yr old man was arrested on suspicion of offering for sale and keeping for sale products containing ingredients derived from endangered species contrary to the Control of Trade in Endangered Species (Enforcement) Regulations 1997. A further 70 products were seized at the Eltham property claiming to include Rhinoceros, bear and musk deer.

The man has now been bailed to return to a south London police station on a date at the end of July 2006.

As part of the Wildlife Crime Unit's Operation Charm, an initiative against the illegal trade in endangered species in London, these seizures add to the over 30,000 products the Met have seized, made from endangered species, on sale in London since 1995.

Andy Fisher, Head of the Met's Wildlife Crime Unit said:

“We are committed to working with the communities within London to prevent the sale of these products. Most Chinese Medicines are not made from endangered species and can be sold legally. However, a small number of people continue to trade in these products and Operation Charm will continue to work to end this illegal activity.”

The trade in endangered species is strictly controlled by CITES (The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species). CITES bans the commercial trade in the world's most endangered species and only allows trade in many others if government permits have been issued. The convention has been signed by more than 160 countries including the UK. These controls apply to both live and dead animals and plants as well as anything that comes from them or is made from them.

The maximum penalty is five years imprisonment, a £5000 fine or both.

Operation Charm's combination of Law enforcement, partnerships and education has made a difference and some products are not now found on sale in London as openly, or as often as they used to be, but new trends and fashions emerge which threaten other species and Operation Charm needs to respond to these as well.

Ultimately, as long as Londoners continue to buy products made form endangered species, poachers and traffickers will continue to profit from killing and supplying animals from other parts of the world and the future of some of our most endangered species will be at risk.

The Met Police is committed to stopping the illegal trade in endangered species and would advise the public not to purchase products purporting to contain endangered species. Some Chinese Medicine traders display a Met police sticker stating they have agreed not to sell these products.

If any one has any information regarding the illegal sale of products containing endangered species you can contact the Wildlife crime unit on 0207 230 8888 or alternatively you can contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.