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The police dog rushed to this shipping crate, revealing an unsettling find.

When a police dog sniffed around a shipping container and alerted the officers, they approached carefully. When they opened the door, a terrible smell came out of the bags. What was found inside left them in shock. The police dog patrolled the ports of Shenzhen, China, doing his job diligently. The officers had to check more than 15 containers that didn't have the right papers.

It was a tough task, and the dealers hoped to sneak their unlawful goods past the officers in the chaos. One became a mystery that took months to solve. Using bolt cutters, one of the officials struggled to pry open the rusty red doors. When they finally swung open, they found bags filled with strange, light, coal-like material.

 


The substance left black stains on their skin when touched, like charcoal. However, as soon as they opened one bag, a terrible smell overwhelmed them, making them cough and struggle to breathe. Even the police dog was momentarily disoriented by the odor.

Officials sensed something unusual and possibly lethal, so they called in health inspectors for help. The area was secured, and a thorough investigation began. The unfamiliar smell indicated they were dealing with something significant, starting a historical investigation. This was unlike anything they had encountered before an lawful item, it was a unique living creature. The animal had travelled over 7000 miles from an African forest.

In Africa, a man driven by poverty embarked on a determined quest, using nature's clues to catch elusive creatures with valuable scales. While planning to sell them to a local dealer, he unwittingly played a part in a large or poaching network. The creatures, pangolins, are highly traded and illegally sought for their scales, despite being critically threatened.

Pangolins, critically threatened and protected by strict national and international laws, face immense threats. In China, where their safeguarded and consumption is unlawful, illicit traders still exploit them for their scales, used in traditional medicine, despite lacking scientific backing for their efficacy.

The escalating demand has emboldened illicit traders who openly engage in unlawful activities, bribing officials and operating as formidable unlawful syndicates. A recent seizure of 293 bags containing nearly 12 tons of pangolin scales, equivalent to 20,000 to 30,000 pangolins, signals a distressing trend.

This relentless poaching may perilously push these creatures towards extinction. This seizure marked a turning point in the investigation, closing in on a transcontinental dealing syndicate. Despite limited resources and challenges, authorities traced the pangolin scales back to Africa, leading to the arrest of two prime suspects, Lee and he.

Lee, a seasoned dealer, denied involvement, but a distinctive mole on his foot, captured in a photograph, became crucial evidence. The container, valued at hundreds of thousands of dollars, held immense value. However, the 30,000 pangolins lost made this sum insignificant.

Investigators encountered hurdles in tracing the culprits responsible for this terrible massacre. Their resources were scanned, with only false names on shipping forms as clues. Pinning hope on the crate's label, they enlisted a specialized team to disrupt dealing networks.

Detailed analysis indicated the pangolin scales originated in Africa, narrowing down the list of possible suspects. After pouring over hundreds of documents and conducting field visits, they finally apprehended two individuals, he and Lee, who emerged as prime suspects. Further investigation revealed that Lee and he, another individual, had been partners in numerous profitable deals, amassing a staggering $758,000.

Two lawbreakers, Lee and he, were discovered to have taken the same flight to an African country, the origin of pangolin scales. Lee managed shipping operations from Africa to China, while he sold pangolin scales and ensured customer satisfaction in China.

Their arrest exposed a vast network of dealers and offenders, potentially involving hundreds of people. The investigators acknowledged that their efforts only scratched the surface of a more extensive unlawful operation.

Their goal was to safeguard pangolins, dismantle the network, and bring all-involved offenders to justice. The investigation underscored the pressing need to combat the illegal wildlife trade and protect threatened species globally. Lee and he were not acting alone, their partnership was part of a larger puzzle involving other offenders and dealers.

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