A man was
Friday convicted on 24 charges of possessing illegal wildlife products,
including orangutan and tiger skulls, following the biggest seizure of such
items in Australian history.
MSN - AFP, May 2, 2014
John Kolettas, 44, pleaded guilty after police raided his Sydney home last year and found 78 illegal products made from 24 threatened species.
MSN - AFP, May 2, 2014
A collection of wildlife specimens, part of the largest seizure of illegal wildlife items in the history of the Australian Federal Department of the Environment, are put on display on May 2, 2014 |
John Kolettas, 44, pleaded guilty after police raided his Sydney home last year and found 78 illegal products made from 24 threatened species.
They
included 11 orangutan skulls and 25 other skulls of monkeys, lynx, bears and a
tiger. Other items included teeth and skins from orangutans, lynx, otters, and
a feather headdress made from a bird of paradise.
Kolettas
was jailed for a year, fined Aus$4,000 (US$3,700) and ordered to do 384 hours
of community service for the possession of specimens listed under the
Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora
(CITES).
"Wildlife
trafficking is a cruel and often barbaric trade that has become more widespread
and lucrative and is now valued at billions of dollars worldwide," said the
department of environment.
"The
community -- particularly collectors, travellers and online shoppers -- should
be aware of what they are buying, what it is made of, and where it is from.
"Without
realising it they may be contributing to the decline of threatened species,
simply by purchasing what initially looks like a bargain."
Australia
is one of 178 nations that are signatories to CITES, with the importation of
endangered species, or parts of them, illegal without a permit.
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