Over 4,400 reptiles were rescued and 12 arrests were made globally as a result of coordinated actions between international police organization, Interpol, and the EU law enforcement agency, Europol, the EU agency said Monday
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 03rd June, 2019) Over 4,400 reptiles were rescued and 12 arrests were made globally as a result of coordinated actions between international police organization, Interpol, and the EU law enforcement agency, Europol, the EU agency said Monday.According to Europol, operation Blizzard, carried out between April 12 to May 22, involved police agencies from 22 countries and involved the seizure of live animals and high-fashion products made from reptiles.
Globally, 4,419 live animals were seized. Six arrests were made in Spain and the other six in Italy.
The two agencies coordinated sharing information, providing technical support and inspections of targeted aircraft passengers and commercial cargo.
Countries which took part in the international Blizzard included Australia, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Canada, Denmark, Estonia, France, Germany, Hungary, Israel, Italy, Latvia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Poland, Portugal, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine, and the United States.
Wildlife trafficking has increased in recent years, according to Europol's head of economic and property crime unit, Pedro Felicio. Globally coordinated police operations are at the forefront of environmental preservation efforts, with EU enforcement agencies seizing millions of Euros worth of reptiles yearly, Felicio added.
