Men Caught Smuggling Bear Paws into China
- 11 years ago
A recent attempt to smuggle bear paws into China was thwarted. The contraband was concealed in the tires of a van.
A recent attempt to smuggle bear paws from Russia into China was thwarted. The contraband was concealed in the tires of a van.
The paws are expected to have come from brown bears, which are protected in China.
Black-market value of the cargo is estimated to be approximately 450 thousand dollars.
The paws were seized in Mongolia, and a customs agent commented that the timing of the transport was odd. He said, "This case is quite special as it occurred in May, which is not a peak time for smuggling bear paws as the weather is too warm to keep the paws fresh."
They are valued in the country because they’re believed to have high nutritional value and are often used as extravagant gifts and as ritual dishes.
The bears’ paws and gallbladders also have a reputation for being powerful aphrodisiacs and are believed to have medicinal qualities.
In this particular smuggling instance, two Russian men have been detained for sentencing.
The smuggling of bear paws from Russia into China has been rampant for some time.
A recent attempt to smuggle bear paws from Russia into China was thwarted. The contraband was concealed in the tires of a van.
The paws are expected to have come from brown bears, which are protected in China.
Black-market value of the cargo is estimated to be approximately 450 thousand dollars.
The paws were seized in Mongolia, and a customs agent commented that the timing of the transport was odd. He said, "This case is quite special as it occurred in May, which is not a peak time for smuggling bear paws as the weather is too warm to keep the paws fresh."
They are valued in the country because they’re believed to have high nutritional value and are often used as extravagant gifts and as ritual dishes.
The bears’ paws and gallbladders also have a reputation for being powerful aphrodisiacs and are believed to have medicinal qualities.
In this particular smuggling instance, two Russian men have been detained for sentencing.
The smuggling of bear paws from Russia into China has been rampant for some time.