ANIMAL SMUGGLING RING BUSTED IN INDIA

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http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2006/09/22/asia/AS_GEN_India_Animal_Smuggling.php

Accidental discovery exposes endangered animal smuggling ring

**The Associated Press

 

Published: September 22, 2006

*LUCKNOW, India* When a dead snake dropped out of a package being

carried by a courier, it not only scared the messenger, but tipped police

off to a large-scale smuggling operation of endangered animal specimens.

When they opened up the package, they found it full of dead, preserved

animals, including five adult cobras, 97 baby cobras and 91 baby Olive

Ridley sea turtles.

" We never thought, not even in our dreams, that someone would send dead

animals through a courier packet, " Manoj Jaiswal, the owner of the courier

company, told The Associated Press by phone from the city of Agra.

Police were quickly called and launched an investigation into the strange

find.

" The seizure is worth US$10,000 on the international market, " said S. P.

Singh, a wildlife protection official.

Both the species are protected in India.

Officials believe the specimens are used in science laboratories, and in

some cases in traditional medicines.

The cobra is worshipped in many parts of India, while the Olive Ridley

turtle, the smallest of all sea turtles, is endangered. Beaches in the

Indian state of Orissa are among the last breeding grounds for the turtle,

named for the color of its shell.

The animals were discovered last week, but it was not possible to confirm

the details until now.

Following the find, police raided the house of Brijesh Upadhaya, to whom the

package was addressed. There they found thousands more dead endangered

animals, including sharks, octopuses, sea-horses, chameleons and snakes ?

including cobras, pythons and vipers.

Upadhaya and his wife had fled and police were looking for him.

Police also arrested two men in the southern city of Chennai, where the

package originated, Press Trust of India news agency reported.

Singh said the specimens were ultimately intended for a firm in the U.S. He

refused to name the company or its city, saying it could hamper the

investigation.

Manoranjan Chaudhry, a wildlife expert said the smugglers first kill the

animals with chloroform. Then they are preserved and sent to different

locations.

" It is a big racket ... the animals are sent to different parts of the

globe, " he said.

Chaudhry estimates that a cobra skin sells for between US$100-to-US$200

(?78-to-?156)on the black market. " It all depends on the variety and length

of the snake. The baby cobra could be purchased for half the price, " he

said.