5 indicted in wildlife smuggling ring bust

Saltwater crocodiles seized at Incheon International Airport / Courtesy of Seoul Eastern District Prosecutor's Office

Prosecutors said Thursday they have indicted five members of an illegal wildlife trafficking ring that smuggled exotic and endangered animals, including Chinese alligators, into Korea.

The individuals face charges of violating customs and wildlife protection laws for illegally trading animals brought in from overseas, according to the Seoul Eastern District Prosecutors' Office.

The ringleader is accused of smuggling 200 non-native animals into Korea from November 2023 to August 2024 and selling 54 endangered animals. The four others are suspected of being complicit in the scheme.

The prosecution said the traffickers bought animals from Indonesia, Vietnam and Thailand, before smuggling them into Korea to sell on online reptile forums. The animals were sent to buyers nationwide via parcel delivery.

In order to avoid customs, the traffickers smuggled in young animals using tin or plastic cases and taped their mouths to prevent them from making noise, the prosecution said, adding that many animals died due to stress.

Customs officials at Incheon International Airport, just west of Seoul, referred the case to the prosecution in July last year after catching one of the traffickers. Prosecutors eventually identified others involved in the scheme.

A total of 95 smuggled animals have been confiscated and are currently under the care of the National Institute of Ecology in the western county of Seocheon, about 170 kilometers south of Seoul.

Korea is a party to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, a global treaty aimed at protecting endangered species from illegal trade.