A person has been arrested after police seized 38kg of unlawful frozen bushmeat together with pangolins, cane rats and porcupines, the meals security watchdog has mentioned.
Officers from the Meals Requirements Company (FSA) and the Metropolitan Police discovered the bushmeat at a web site in Deptford, southeast London, on 5 December.
Bushmeat is from wild animals – usually species present in tropical areas – which have been hunted.
A 57-year-old man was arrested and launched beneath investigation, the FSA mentioned.
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A frozen cane rat that was seized. Pic: FSA/PA
The operation focused illegally imported meat merchandise that posed potential meals security dangers to shoppers as a result of illegally imported meat bypasses security checks, the watchdog mentioned.
Some species, equivalent to pangolins, are additionally critically endangered and all business commerce of them is prohibited internationally.
Pangolins are hunted by people for his or her meat and scales. They’re the one sort of mammal with scales overlaying their our bodies from head to tail, and so they feed on ants, termites and bug larvae, in response to the Zoological Society of London (ZSL).
A million pangolins are thought to have been poached within the area of a single decade to fulfill demand, making them maybe the world’s most-poached animal, ZSL mentioned.
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Pangolins are sometimes hunted for his or her scales. Pic: Reuters
It mentioned pangolins’ scales and different physique components are used for conventional medication in China, Vietnam and components of West and Central Africa, regardless of there being no scientific proof of them having any well being advantages.
A senior investigator on the FSA, Simon Ashwin, mentioned the physique “advises consumers not to buy or eat illegally imported meat, including bushmeat, as it may pose serious health risks”.
A world downside
An operation between 15 September and 15 October, coordinated by Interpol and the World Customs Organisation, recognized 1,100 suspects, and resulted within the arrest of 24 individuals in South Africa, two in Vietnam and one in Qatar.
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There was an increase within the international unlawful buying and selling of unique butterflies. Pic: Reuters
Almost 30,000 reside animals have been seized within the month-long international sting by police, customs, border safety, and forestry and wildlife authorities.
Interpol mentioned the operation underlined a rising demand for unique pets together with birds, tortoises, reptiles and primates.
There was additionally a pointy rise within the trafficking of unique arthropods – with nearly 10,500 butterflies, spiders and bugs seized.
“Though tiny in size, these creatures play vital ecological roles. Their removal destabilises food chains and introduces invasive species or diseases, posing serious biosecurity and public health risks,” Interpol mentioned.
Wild animal meat trafficking was additionally on the rise – with a document 5.8 tonnes of bushmeat being seized.
Particularly, authorities famous a rise in circumstances of trafficking from Africa into Europe.
Kenyan officers seized greater than 400kg of giraffe meat, whereas Tanzanian police recovered zebra and antelope meat and skins valued at about £7,500 ($10,000).
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Zebras and giraffes are each traded as bushmeat. Pic: Reuters
Most wildlife trafficking this yr concerned animal stays, components and merchandise, usually for conventional medication or meals.
The annual worth of wildlife crime is estimated at £14.9bn ($20bn), however the true determine might be a lot greater.
Interpol mentioned the operation “once again exposes the sophistication and scale of the criminal networks driving the illegal wildlife and forestry trade – networks that increasingly intersect with all crime areas, from drug trafficking to human exploitation”.
