Crack Down on Illegal Ivory Trade in New York
07/20/2012
And elephant killed by poachers. Photo credit: elainedawn / CC BY-ND 2.0
Last Thursday a scene worthy of Law & Order: Special Wildlife Unit played out in New York City. Two midtown Manhattan jewelers pled guilty to the sale of illegal elephant ivory worth more than $2 million.
The ivory beads, bracelets, elephant figurines, and carved decorative spheres were confiscated from New York Jewelry Mart and Raja Jewels.
“Poachers should not have a market in Manhattan,” said District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance in a press release. “It is unacceptable that tusks from elephants wind up being sold as mass-produced jewelry and unremarkable decorative items in this city.”
The two stores were working together to sell the banned substance: Mukesh Gupta of Raja Jewels acted as a supplier for Johnson Jung-Chien Lu at the Jewelry Mart. The District Attorney’s Office reported that the ivory confiscated from Raja Jewels alone filled more than 70 bankers’ boxes.
Suspicions were raised when an off-duty FWS inspector noticed the merchandise while shopping, according to the New York Times. Retailers can only sell ivory products if they have a license documenting that the ivory was purchased before the 1989 international ban on ivory trade.
DA Vance described the demand for illegal ivory as “an international problem that requires local solutions.” His office partnered with the New York Department of Environmental Conservation and the US Fish and Wildlife Service to conduct the investigation.
African elephants. Photo credit: Patrick Chiyo, Duke University / CC BY 2.0
2011 was the deadliest year for elephants since 1989. Authorities seized more than 24 tons of ivory from slaughtered African and Asian elephants, according to the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS).
Thankfully, the penalty fines collected from Gupta, Lu, and the jewelry stores will help prevent the slaughter of more elephants. Totaling $55,000, the fines will be donated to the WCS to further their elephant conservation and anti-poaching programs.
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Comments
very sad photo :( Good
very sad photo :( Good article to read kısa güzel sözler
It's really strange for me
It's really strange for me that people buying ivory turn for smuggled, illegal goods. After all, ivory is not a common thing for an average Joe, sorry.
I'm afraid you're missing
I'm afraid you're missing one very important point: the $55k fine doesn't even amount to sales tax on $2M of jewelry -- a pat on the wrist, not even a slap. The laws are completely inadequate and one would expect these criminals to immediately go back and order more death ivory from their suppliers.
Its very bad thing that
Its very bad thing that human kills animal for own benefits, We should take some serious steps to stop this illegal process.
panaceabharti
That is so sad.. Killing
That is so sad.. Killing harmless creatures for money. They should be penalized and put to jail.
Hardiplank Siding Houston
Landing page design Good
Landing page design
Good news that Gupta and Lu paid penalty of $55,000 and fines will be denoted to to the WCS to further their elephant conservation and anti-poaching programs. These rules must be imposed so as to save wildlife.