On August 27, 2015, on the territory of the Dalnerechensk District, operatives of the Federal Security Service Directorate for the Primorsky Krai in the course of operational search activities identified an organized group of people who illegally sold parts of highly valuable wild animals listed in the Red Book.
Vendors were taken red-handed on the Vladivostok-Khabarovsk highway. During the search in one of their vehicles, officers of the Investigative Committee found and seized the Amur tiger skin.
Currently, the suspects are detained in the order of art. 91 of the Criminal Procedure Code of the Russian Federation, the issue of election of a measure of restraint in relation to them is being resolved. The sanction of Part 3 of Article 258.1 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, under which a criminal case was initiated, provides for a sentence of imprisonment for a term of from five to seven years.
“The fact that another discovery of Amur tiger skins, no doubt, is sad. However, the arrest of people involved indicates that law enforcement agencies increase the effectiveness of work on revealing and suppression of crimes environmental orientation. - says the Director of the Primorsky branch of the Amur tiger Center Sergei Aramilev.- It should be noted that the case was filed in the third part of the article 258.1 of the criminal code, which indicates the presence of sufficient data indicating the Commission of a crime by an organized group of persons for which there is severe punishment. We hope for a comprehensive investigation, and prosecution of not only individuals, to the sale of the hides, but those involved in illegal mining in the Amur tiger.”
The staff of the Amur tiger Center is ready to render necessary assistance to law enforcement authorities in the investigation of crime.