During the operational search on a federal highway "Khabarovsk - Vladivostok" in the Mikhailovskiy district of Primorsky Krai, the police stopped a car, during the examination of which parts of the skeleton of an unknown animal were discovered. Seized bones were promptly sent to the specialist of the Amur Tiger Center for examination, which found that the bones were fragments of an Amur tiger’s ribs.
The place of residence of the suspected in Ussuriisk urban district, Chuguevsky and Kavalerovsky districts of Primorsky Krai have been searched. During the search hunting rifles, cartridges, bear bile, carcasses of animals, three thousand trepangs and bones of the Amur tiger in large quantities were confiscated.
Weapons and ammunition were sent to a forensic center. Organic materials were sent to the Amur Tiger Center for the examination. According to preliminary data, seized bones belong to at least nine different Amur tigers.
"At the moment, an investigation, which will help establish the role of each of the suspects is underway. It is also important to find the persons responsible for shooting animals. It should be noted that the detainees, most likely, have been engaged in the trade of derivatives of rare animals for many years. - commented Sergei Aramilev, Director of the Primorsky branch of the Amur Tiger Center. - I want to draw your attention that most of the tigers, whose bones were found, had not been killed this year. For some reason, the suspects failed to sell them. Most likely the entry into force of Art. 258.1 and the successful actions of the Ministry of Internal Affairs significantly reduced the demand and scared away potential buyers. But we will not not stop here, because not all citizens have realized the danger of a business built on the blood of rare animals yet, and law enforcement officers still have a lot of work to do in this direction."
In addition, in the apartment of one of the suspects in Ussuriysk, the operational staff of the Economic Security and Anti-Corruption Department found a nine-month female Himalayan bear. She was kept in a small cage, practically immobilized, wearing a tight collar. The police transferred the animal to the care of specialists of the Ussuriisk Zoo.
Criminal cases on the fact of poaching and trafficking of rare wild animals and aquatic biological resources belonging to species listed in the Red Book of the Russian Federation and protected by international treaties of the Russian Federation, and their parts and derivatives have been initiated. One of the defendants is imprisoned.
Activities aimed at identifying, documenting and suppressing the facts of illegal hunting, storage and transportation of derivatives of rare and endangered species of fauna continue.
This article is based on the materials of the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Primorsky Krai Press Center.
For reference:
The Amur tiger is listed in the Red Book of the Russian Federation. It is under threat of extinction, the hunting is prohibited. The Russian Criminal Code has been amended to enact article 258.1 "Illegal capture and trafficking of valuable wild animals and aquatic biological resources belonging to species listed in the Red Book of the Russian Federation and / or protected by international treaties of the Russian Federation, their parts and derivatives ". For these acts, an imprisonment of up to 7 years and fines of up to 2 million rubles are envisaged.
One of the goals of the Amur Tiger Center established a year ago by the Russian Geographical Society on the initiative of President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin, is to support efforts to combat poaching, one of the main threats to the Amur tiger population.