The Civil Guard presented this morning the results of the global operation Thunder in Spain, developed to stop the illegal trafficking of protected species and the commercialization of species protected by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).
The Seprona of the Civil Guard has carried out 438 inspections in which 193 administrative infractions and eleven criminal offenses have been detected, with the arrest and investigation of thirteen people. 192 live specimens and 50 inert pieces such as ivory, tusks, legs, or skins have been seized.
Regarding criminal offenses, almost all of them have been related to crimes of document forgery, in addition to a crime of smuggling and a crime of animal abuse related to actions for trafficking of protected species.
Regarding administrative infractions, the non-compliance with regulations on animal health and infectious diseases -epizootics-, regulations on companion animals, and the Law on Natural Heritage and Biodiversity and CITES regulations stands out.
This edition has placed special emphasis on detecting the import of woods, which due to their origin and the restrictions imposed in the European Union, are prohibited, specifically those from Russia and Myanmar.
Operations in Tenerife and Gran Canaria
Civil Guard officers in Tenerife located a total of 32 specimens of different species inside a vehicle, hidden in the trunk and under the seats. Among them, some protected by the CITES convention, such as the morrocoy turtle, the Mexican tarantula with orange legs, or the red-rump tarantula. Species included in the Spanish Catalog of Invasive Exotic Species were also detected, such as the corn snake or other native species protected at the national level such as the gallipato (a type of salamander).
In Alicante, civil guards intervened 18 specimens of live turtles, of species classified as threatened and internationally protected. These specimens were deposited in the wildlife recovery center of Santa Faz.
In the search of a house in the municipality of Telde, in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, a total of 31 animals of different species were seized, such as tarantulas, yellow scorpion -a very poisonous species for which there was no antidote in the entire Canary archipelago-, python snake, turtles, and lizards.
In addition, species classified as invasive were detected, such as giant African snails or California kingsnakes.
In Huelva, a suitcase was found hidden inside a vehicle, containing 98 specimens of different species of finches, specifically 80 European goldfinches and 18 siskins, both protected at the national level. The person responsible, who could not prove the lawful origin of these birds, was criminally investigated and administratively denounced.
European Multidisciplinary Platform Against Criminal Threats (EMPACT)
To support this operation, within the framework of the European Multidisciplinary Platform against Criminal Threats (EMPACT), an international cyber-patrol exercise was carried out in which specialists in the investigation of crimes against the environment from Croatia, Denmark, Spain, Finland, France, Hungary, Italy, Portugal, the Czech Republic, and the United Kingdom participated. Representatives of NGOs such as IFAW and GITOC, collaborators in the fight against this criminal theme, also participated, and the activity has also been attended by Europol, to coordinate the joint action of European actors and, for the first time, in this type of Interpol cyber-patrols to facilitate the exchange of information worldwide against the trafficking of species.
The Civil Guard has been leading this type of online action for two years, thanks also to the collaboration provided by the private sector in the preparation of technical means and infrastructures, operational support, and didactic support. The activity has been carried out with the collaboration of Universae and The Intel Academy, specialists in new technologies and research methodology through open sources.
EMPACT is a permanent and key instrument of the European Union for structured multidisciplinary cooperation in the fight against organized crime and serious forms of international crime, promoted by the Member States and supported by the institutions, bodies, and agencies of the EU in accordance with their respective mandates.