Recently, a case of illegal smuggling of endangered animals native to Australia has attracted widespread attention. According to a report by The Telegraph on April 12, a 32-year-old Chinese citizen, Bichuan Zhang, was sentenced to two years and four months in prison for trying to smuggle dozens of Australian reptiles out of the country.
The case took place in July 2023, when Zhang Bichuan was arrested by the police. Court documents show that he tried to transport 43 lizards out of Australia without permission on five occasions during Christmas in 2022 and 2023 in an attempt to send them to different recipients in Hong Kong.
It is reported that Zhang Bichuan packed these reptiles into six boxes, including a variety of endangered native species such as pinecone lizards, blue-tongued lizards and striated iguanas. Authorities intercepted the parcels just in time for them to leave the country, and found that three of the striated iguanas were dead, while the others were alive but very weak and covered in feces.
During the court hearing, Judge David Barrow pointed out that Zhang Bichuan did not care about the living environment of these animals, did not even provide the most basic water and living space, let alone consider their survival in extreme temperature changes. "It is cruel to treat these reptiles as cargo, showing the callousness of the perpetrators. He pointed out harshly.
It is worth noting that Zhang Bichuan came to Australia in 2022 on a student visa to study hotel operations, but it seems that he failed to meet his family's expectations. The court was informed that a psychological report showed that he may have been motivated to commit these crimes for financial gain, but the exact amount was not disclosed.
In response, the judge sentenced Zhang Bichuan to 2 years and 4 months in prison. He was released after serving 14 months in prison with a $1,000 bond and two years of good behaviour.
This case has aroused great attention from the Australian government and the public. Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek said the verdict sent a clear warning to all those who try to commit wildlife crimes, "We are closely monitoring and you will be arrested and you may be sentenced to prison." "
She stressed that protecting Australia's native rare animals is not only Australian's responsibility, but also a global priority. "Our native animals, which are highly prized overseas, are easy targets for wildlife trafficking and deserve maximum protection to stop this cruel trade. "
This case is the result of Operation Maxima. The operation was spearheaded by the Environmental Crime Unit of the Climate Change, Energy, Environment and Water Sector (DCCEEW) and an international investigation was launched with the Hong Kong authorities. Plibersek said the Labour government would continue to fight these transnational organised crime gangs and curb wildlife trafficking.
In fact, the illegal trafficking of endangered wildlife has been a serious global problem. The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has pointed out that such activities not only cause direct harm to endangered species, but can also lead to other serious consequences, such as virus transmission and ecological imbalance. Therefore, countries and law enforcement agencies continue to step up their crackdowns, and at the same time call on the public to participate in conservation actions to jointly protect the planet's biodiversity.