Passed through customs as 'straw bags': Thousands of smuggled snake and ostrich skins seized!

According to the information obtained, teams from the Istanbul Police Department's Anti-Smuggling Branch received intelligence that a suspect was illegally importing wild animal skins from Indonesia, a Southeast Asian country, into Turkey and converting them into bags and similar accessories at his workshop to generate illicit profit.

MARKET VALUE OF 20 MILLION LIRAS

As a result of the investigation, the anti-smuggling police determined that the wild animal skins in question were being used to produce bags at a workshop located in Zeytinburnu. Pressing the button for the operation, police teams raided the workshop.

During the operation, a total of 1,501 smuggled items were seized, including 1,486 python skins, 11 bags made from ostrich skin, and 4 bags made from python skin, with a total market value of 20 million liras.

It was reported that the business owner, a suspect identified as S.T., was taken into custody during the raid.

PASSED THROUGH CUSTOMS AS "STRAW BAGS"

While the seized wild animal skins were handed over to the Istanbul Regional Directorate of Forestry, it was alleged that the apprehended suspect, S.T., had brought the wild animal hides into Turkey through customs by declaring them as "straw bags".

Regarding the smuggled leather goods with a market value of 20 million liras, the workshop owner S.T. was issued a tax penalty exceeding 40 million liras and faced criminal proceedings for "Violation of the Anti-Smuggling Law No. 5607" and "Violation of the CITES Convention".

The suspect is expected to be referred to judicial authorities after his statement is taken.

News Source: İHA