Source | Shanghai Procuratorate Third Branch
Without buying and selling, there is no killing
World Rhino Day
September 22
✯
Popular science trivia
♬.. ♩~ ♫.
Rhinos, the world's rarest wildlife, were listed on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species in 2008. It is found in southern Asia, Southeast Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, inhabiting lowlands or highlands at altitudes of more than 2,000 meters, nocturnal, living alone or in small groups. At present, there are only 4 genera and 5 species of rhinoceros family, namely white rhinoceros, Sumatran rhinoceros, black rhinoceros, Javan rhinoceros, Indian rhinoceros, 2 species are on the verge of extinction, and the remaining 3 species are also in a state of threat.
The biggest threat to rhinos is humans. They like heat and fear cold, but they are sent to the north as tributes, and they freeze to death because of the cold; their skin is hard, but they are used as good materials for making armor; their rhino horns are unique, the composition is no different from human nails, but they are considered precious medicinal materials, and even as a symbol of social rank... According to the United Nations Wildlife Conservation Association, at least one rhino is hunted every 14 hours in Africa, and most rhinos are poached and bid farewell to the world forever.
To save the endangered rhinos, both the white rhino and the Asian rhino were listed in Appendix I of the Washington Convention in 1973, and the black rhino was not listed until 1977. While this ended the legal trade in rhinos, black market trade flourished.
In 1993, the Chinese government issued a ban on the use of rhino horn, and as a member of the International Wild Trade Convention, China has always supported a ban on the trade in any rhino products.
Since the Third Branch of the Shanghai Municipal People's Procuratorate had jurisdiction over customs smuggling cases in 2015, it has severely cracked down on the crime of smuggling precious animals and their products, handling a total of 7 cases of smuggling rhino horn and 9 people, and most of the defendants have been sentenced to fixed-term imprisonment. There have been no such cases since 2020.
Typical cases
01
On May 19, 2015, defendant Wu and his wife flew from Hong Kong to Shanghai Pudong International Airport, and chose to take the non-declaration channel when entering the country, and did not declare any items to the customs. Customs officers of the Customs Travel Inspection Department of Shanghai Pudong International Airport seized 3 suspected rhino horns in a yellow cloth bag in Wu Moumou's suitcase. According to the Shanghai Wildlife Identification Center, the above-mentioned suspected rhino horns seized are all black rhino horns, weighing 6.275 kilograms and worth more than 1.56 million yuan.
The Third Branch of the Shanghai Municipal People's Procuratorate filed a public prosecution with the Shanghai No. 3 Intermediate People's Court for smuggling precious animal products, and the defendant Wu Moumou was sentenced to five years' imprisonment and fined 20,000 yuan.
02
In order to seek illegal benefits, defendants Zhang X. A. Hu X. and Zhang X.B. discussed jointly funding the purchase of rhino horn in South Africa to carry into The Country or helped others carry rhino horn into China for sale for profit.
On May 2, 2018, defendants Zhang X. Jia and Mr. Hu, carrying suitcases containing rhino horn products, departed from Johannesburg, South Africa, and flew to Shanghai Pudong International Airport via Hong Kong the next day, and both chose to take the customs non-declaration channel when entering the country, and did not declare any items to the customs. Customs officers of the Customs Travel Inspection Department of Shanghai Pudong International Airport opened the relevant luggage, seized 2 boxes of chocolate boxes with rhino horn hidden in Zhang Moujia's suitcase, seized 15 pieces of rhino horn from it, and seized 2 boxes of chocolate boxes with rhino horn hidden in Hu Mou's suitcase, and seized 20 pieces of rhino horn from it.
After identification, the above rhino horns are all horns of rhinoceros, that is, rhinos, with a total weight of 11.39 kg and a value of RMB 2 million.
The Third Branch of the Shanghai Municipal People's Procuratorate filed a public prosecution with the Shanghai Municipal No. 3 Intermediate People's Court for smuggling precious animal products, and the defendants Zhang X. Jia, Zhang X. B. and Hu X. were sentenced to fixed-term imprisonment ranging from 12 years to 10 years and 6 months, deprivation of political rights for one year, and confiscation of property ranging from 400,000 yuan to 200,000 yuan.
03
On June 30, 2019, defendant Guan X departed from Johannesburg, South Africa, carrying 7 pieces of suspected rhino horn and 24 pieces of suspected rhino horn products, and arrived at Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport the next day via a connecting flight in Hong Kong. According to the baggage pre-inspection information, the customs staff interrogated Mr. and Mrs. Guan and inspected the baggage he carried through the X-ray machine. After inspection, the customs staff seized 7 pieces of suspected rhino horn and 24 pieces of suspected rhino horn products from the two black backpacks carried by defendant Guan X.
After identification, 30 of the above 31 suspected rhino horn and suspected rhino horn products are the horns of rhinoceros animals, worth more than RMB 2.44 million.
The Third Branch of the Shanghai Municipal People's Procuratorate filed a public prosecution with the Shanghai Municipal Third Intermediate People's Court for the crime of smuggling precious animal products, and the defendant Guan X was sentenced to 10 years and three months in prison, deprived of political rights for one year, and confiscated property of 200,000 yuan.