Latest news with #illegaltrade
ABC News
a day ago
- ABC News
Wild cargo: Tracing the illegal exotic pet trade from Solomon Islands to Jakarta
Solomon Islands is the Pacific region's largest legal commercial exporter of wildlife for the exotic pet trade — but there's a dark side. It's an open secret that in remote parts of the islands, men from logging ships smuggle birds out of the country, exchanging them with villagers for alcohol, food and electronics. The country is home to a high number of endemic species found nowhere else in the world, and these birds most likely land in Asia, where there's a large black market for exotic animals. Join journalist Prianka Srinivasan as she travels from the jungles of Santa Isabel to the bustling markets in Jakarta, Indonesia, to track this illegal trade. Presenter: Prianka Srinivasan *Reporting was supported by the Sean Dorney Grant for Pacific Journalist through the Walkley Public Fund.
Mail & Guardian
3 days ago
- Mail & Guardian
Plant poachers get slapped with jail sentences of 15 years each
The men were sentenced for poaching 303 rate specied found in the Northern and Western Cape. Photo: WWF The Calvinia regional court has sentenced four people to 15 years imprisonment each for The plants, commonly known as the miracle bush lily or Oorlogskloof bush lily, are estimated to carry a black-market value of R6 million to R30 million. The rare species is endemic to parts of the Northern and Western Cape and is highly sought after in the illicit global plant trade. The four individuals — Mark Daddy (43), Raphael Mhashu (25), Simbarashe Charanelura (33) and Elton Ngwanati (34) — were arrested on 20 April last year after being found in possession of the endangered specimens. They were convicted on charges relating to the illegal harvesting of protected plant species and breaches of South Africa's immigration legislation. Sentencing took place on 3 July. The department of forestry, fisheries and the environment said the conviction reflects a broader trend of organised criminal syndicates expanding This is driven by high international demand, particularly in Asian markets. 'These crimes threaten biodiversity, disrupt ecosystems, and push already vulnerable species closer to extinction,' it said. The conviction is a critical milestone in the country's fight against environmental crime, said Environment Minister 'The department will continue to strengthen enforcement, build international partnerships, and work closely with police and prosecutors to stop the illegal trade in wildlife and plants.' George commended the South African Police Service, the National Prosecuting Authority and all other officials involved, including investigating officer Constable Danver Matthys and prosecutor Darryl Bromkamp, for their dedication in securing this outcome.
Yahoo
14-07-2025
- Yahoo
Border Police officer among four indicted for ammunition theft and trade
Tal Joseph, a Border Police officer stationed at a base in the West Bank, exploited his access to weapons and stole large quantities of 5.56 mm ammunition. An indictment was filed with the Beersheba District Court against four suspects, including a Border Police officer, for a series of offenses related to the illegal trade of ammunition stolen from IDF and Israel Police depots by the Police Investigations Department (PID) on Tuesday. The PID requested that the court order the detention of three of the defendants until the completion of legal proceedings against them. According to the indictment, filed by Attorney Linor Maimon from the PID, Tal Joseph, a Border Police officer stationed at a base in the West Bank, exploited his access to weapons and stole large quantities of 5.56 mm ammunition. He transferred the stolen ammunition to unauthorized parties for trade purposes, facilitated by his close relative, Eliraz Mashlicker. The indictment specifies three transactions in which thousands of rounds of ammunition were sold or attempted to be sold for tens of thousands of shekels. The charges brought against the defendants, based on their roles, include conspiracy to commit a crime, trafficking in weapons jointly, obstruction of justice, attempted trafficking in weapons jointly, theft by a public servant, illegal possession of weapons, and purchasing weapons. The defendants Tal Joseph, Joumaa Abu Sholdom, and Eliraz Mashlicker were arrested during the investigation. Joumaa Abu Sholdom was arrested and questioned by the Southern Unit of the Israel Police, while Tal Joseph and Eliraz Mashlicker were arrested by the southern team of the Police Investigations Department. Their detention was periodically extended by the court, at the request of the PID, to allow for the completion of the investigation and the conduct of further investigative actions. The defendant, Mahmud Guda, was also interrogated by the southern team of the Police Investigations Department.
LBCI
14-07-2025
- Business
- LBCI
Malaysia clamps down on export, transit of US-made AI chips
Malaysia clamped down Monday on the export, trans-shipment, and transit of all U.S.-made artificial intelligence chips, seeking to stop illegal trade, including to countries such as China. "Effective immediately, all exports tranships, and transits of high-performance AI chips of U.S. origin are subject to a strategic trade permit," Malaysia's investment, trade, and industry ministry said in a statement. AFP
National Post
03-07-2025
- National Post
U.S. couple risk trial in France over stolen 18th-century shipwreck gold
Brest, France — An 80-year-old U.S. novelist and her husband are among several people facing a possible trial in France over the illegal sale of gold bars plundered from an 18th-century shipwreck, after French prosecutors requested the case go to court. Article content Eleonor 'Gay' Courter and her 82-year-old husband, Philip, have been accused of helping to sell the bullion online for a French diver who stole it decades ago, but have denied knowledge of any wrongdoing. Article content Article content Article content Le Prince de Conty, a French ship trading with Asia, sank off the coast of Brittany during a stormy night in the winter of 1746. Article content Article content Archaeologists in the 1980s discovered fine 18th-century Chinese porcelain, the remains of tea crates, and three Chinese gold bars in and around the shipwreck. But a violent storm in 1985 dispersed the ship's remains, ending official excavations. Article content Years later in 2018, the head of France's underwater archaeology department, Michel L'Hour, spotted a suspicious sale of five gold ingots on a U.S. auction house website. He told U.S. authorities he believed they hailed from the Prince de Conty, and they seized the treasure, returning it to France in 2022. Article content Investigators identified the seller as a certain Eleonor 'Gay' Courter, an author and film producer living in Florida. Article content Article content Pesty had told the Antiques Roadshow television series in 1999 that she discovered the gold while diving off the west African island of Cape Verde. But investigators found this to be unlikely and instead focused on her brother-in-law, now 77-year-old underwater photographer Yves Gladu. Article content Article content A 1983 trial had found five people guilty of embezzlement and receiving stolen goods over the plundering of the Prince de Conty. Gladu was not among them. Article content Held in custody in 2022, he confessed to having retrieved 16 gold bars from the ship during around 40 dives on the site between 1976 and 1999. He said he had sold them all in 2006 to a retired member of the military living in Switzerland. But he denied ever having given any to his American friends the Courters. Article content He had known the author and her husband since the 1980s, and they had joined him on holiday on his catamaran in Greece in 2011, in the Caribbean in 2014 and in French Polynesia in 2015, investigators found.
