Authorities snare illegal wildlife trade gang
A turtle rescued in the case
A cross-border illegal wildlife trading gang has been jointly busted by Shanghai police and forestry authorities with about 1,400 wild animals rescued and 23 suspects nabbed, the city's greenery authorities revealed on Saturday.
It was the city's biggest illegal wildlife trading case in terms of the number of live wild animals and case value, according to the Shanghai Greenery and Public Sanitation Bureau.
A python
The gang had been engaging in cross-border smuggling, transportation and sales of rare or endangered wildlife, the bureau said.
The 1,400 animals seized included turtles, pythons and lizards. Among them, about 100 are first-class national protected species, with the rest second-class national protected species.
A turtle
They were weak due to long-distance transportation and poor feeding. They have since recovered thanks to proper care.
The gang was found to have traded 3,000 rare or endangered wildlife worth more than 15 million yuan.
A chameleon
