Wildlife trafficking: 21 people captured in Bogotá and Medellin, more than a thousand exotic animals were seized

Police authorities, units of the Attorney General's Office and the US Fish & Service agency, carried out Operation 'Leopard' in the last few hours. They dismantled two alleged criminal structures dedicated to trafficking and promoting all kinds of specimens of wild and exotic fauna.

The Directorate of Protection and Special Services (DIPRO) established that both organizations used social networks for their benefits, 21 people were captured during simultaneous operations in three cities of the country.

The operations allowed the rescue of 1,004 specimens of wild and exotic fauna, which in the criminal market were going to be trafficked for a value of more than one million dollars.

Police operations prevented the trafficking of 510 specimens through 18 additional activities related to the shipment and concealment of species.

For his part, the Director General of the Police, General Jorge Luis Vargas, during the investigation, said that “he had the participation of virtual undercover police agents, they identified how these people acted through social networks as a platform to market the specimens.”

The Ministry of the Environment, the Environmental Authority of the Aburra Valley and the Autonomous Corporation of Southern Bolivar accompanied the procedures, and under their protection were species such as geckos and uromastyx, tarantulas, bearded drug-bearing, boas, starfish, corals, chameleons, turtles and fish of different classes, among others specimens of birds and mammals.

Those captured must answer to the authorities for their alleged responsibility for the crimes of illicit use of renewable natural resources, concert to commit crimes, crimes against life, physical and emotional integrity of animals, illicit handling of alien species.

Within the research, it was possible to establish that species such as geckos, lizards and snakes were introduced to the country for reproduction and commercialization in Colombia, while for species such as lizards and turtles they had zoofarms in Medellin and Bogotá.

The operation 'Leopardo' is considered by the Police to be “one of the largest operations against trafficking in” wildlife”.

So far in 2022, the National Police have seized 1,630 birds, 3,284 reptiles and 1,080 mammals for a total of 5,994 specimens. The uniformed have also captured 1,469 people for environmental crimes that affected biodiversity as the country's strategic asset.

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