A giant operation against illegal trade in wildlife and timber has resulted in millions of dollars’ worth of seizures and the identification of 1,400 suspects across the world, international police agency Interpol said.
The month-long operation involved 92 countries in May, the statement said.
The 1,974 seizures included 43 tons of wild meat, including bear, elephant, crocodile, whale and zebra, 1.3 tons of elephant ivory, 27,000 reptiles, almost 4,000 birds, 48 live primates, 14 big cats and the carcasses of seven bears, including two polar bears.
The statement said two flight attendants were arrested in Los Angeles carrying live spotted turtles to Asia in personal baggage.
It also highlighted the interception by Canadian authorities of a container holding 18 tons of eel meat arriving from Asia.
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