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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