News

Tortoise Smugglers Shell Shocked

Operation Charm

Two tortoise smugglers have been arrested in an operation to tackle the illegal importation of this endangered species from Corfu into London.

The RSPCA reported information they had received to the Met's Wildlife Crime Unit about tortoises being brought into the UK.

As a result the Unit instigated an investigation under Operation Charm to tackle the smugglers and recover the animals. Officers from Essex police, led by Force Wildlife Crime Officer PC Andy Long, intercepted a 41-year-old man and a 42-year-old woman at Stansted Airport on Friday 17th July 2009. They had arrived on a scheduled flight from Corfu.

Searches of the two uncovered seven Hermann's tortoises hidden in their hand luggage and hold luggage.

The animals have been seized under regulation 10 of the Control of Trade in Endangered Species (Enforcement) Regulations 1997 (known as COTES) and section 18(6) of the Animal Welfare Act 2006.

The couple were expecting to take the animals back to their home in Walthamstow.

Officers from the Metropolitan Police with RSPCA and Defra's Animal Health searched the Walthamstow house and found lizards, boas, a tree snake, two pancake tortoises and an Asian pit viper being kept at the property. The pancake tortoises are endangered and enquiries are ongoing to establish whether they may have been illegally obtained.

Both of the smugglers were arrested on suspicion of trade offences under regulation 8 of COTES and causing unnecessary suffering under the Animal Welfare Act 2006. They were taken to Stansted Airport Police Station in Essex, interviewed and released on bail.

DC David Flint, who coordinated the operation from the Met’s Wildlife Crime Unit, said: "It is really important that those who seek to trade in endangered animals are targeted by the authorities so that internationally these species are protected and able to stay in their natural habitats. The two people arrested showed a blatant disregard for the law and the suffering of the tortoises that would have occurred whilst they were being smuggled over to this country."

The seized tortoises are believed to be indigenous to Corfu. The smuggling of tortoises from various parts of the world into the UK is a major problem and subject of regular seizures at border points.

DC Flint continued, "Unfortunately, some people see the world's flora and fauna simply as a resource to be exploited for personal gain rather than essential bio-diversity. This greed threatens species with extinction and leaves the planet a poorer place for us all. Tourists taking 'just' one or two animals from the wild to pay for their holiday or to keep as pets contribute in their own way to this on-going destruction."

It is illegal to import tortoises and a licence is needed to sell them in the UK. If you are looking to buy a tortoise it is important to ensure the person you are buying from is reputable. If you are unsure, then licensed pet-shops are likely to adhere to the regulations in relation to the sale of endangered species. Insist on seeing their licence. They should also provide proper advice on appropriate animal care.