News

Police seize endangered species from South London shop

8 April 2008 / Metropolitan Police

On 29 February police executed a search warrant at a traditional Chinese medicine shop in South London and seized approximately 300 medicinal products which appear to be made from endangered species of animals and plants. The species concerned included Musk deer, tiger, sea turtle, seahorse, Tibetan wild ass (Kiang), yak and a number of endangered plants. This is the first time that Tibetan wild ass, a species found in the remote mountains of Western China, has been found on sale in London.

The warrant was issued under the Control of Trade in Endangered Species (Enforcement) Regulations 1997 (COTES) and the operation was carried out by officers of the Metropolitan Police Wildlife Crime Unit and Southwark Borough, assisted by HM Revenue & Customs. The COTES Regulations implement the provisions of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) and make it an offence to sell, keep for sale, offer for sale or buy anything that claims to be made from an endangered species.

Today’s operation was carried out as part of Operation Charm, the Met’s partnership initiative against the illegal trade in endangered species in London. Since the launch of Operation Charm in 1995, the Metropolitan Police has seized more than 30,000 endangered species products from illegal sale in London. These include traditional Chinese medicines, elephant ivory, animal skins and fashion and clothing items.

Operation Charm is a partnership between the Metropolitan Police, the Greater London Authority, the International Fund for Animal Welfare, WWF, the David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation and WildAid’s Active Conservation Awareness Programme. It is working to stop the illegal trade in endangered species in London by a combination of law enforcement and partnership and education initiatives to prevent crime.

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

“Most traditional Chinese medicines are herbal remedies which are sold legally but there is also an ongoing illegal trade in some which are made from endangered species and it is the trade in these that we want to stop. Today’s operation is further proof of the ongoing trade in some of these products in our own capital city.

“We are working with the traditional Chinese medicine trade to stop this trade in London but, ultimately, as long as we continue to buy these products, endangered species in other countries will be at risk.”