5 indicted in wildlife smuggling ring bust

Five members of a wildlife smuggling ring were indicted on August 6, according to the Seoul Eastern District Prosecutors Office. The group is accused of importing exotic and endangered animals, such as Chinese alligators, into South Korea, violating customs and wildlife protection laws. The main suspect allegedly smuggled 200 non-native animals from November 2023 to August 2024 and sold 54 endangered animals.

The four other members are believed to have aided in the scheme. The traffickers acquired animals from Indonesia, Vietnam, and Thailand, then smuggled them into South Korea through parcel deliveries to buyers across the country. To bypass customs, they used tin or plastic cases to conceal young animals and prevented them from making noise by taping their mouths.

Customs officials at Incheon International Airport alerted prosecutors to the case in July 2023 after apprehending one of the smugglers. A total of 95 confiscated animals are currently being cared for by the National Institute of Ecology in Seocheon, around 170 kilometers southwest of Seoul. South Korea is a signatory to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, an international treaty designed to safeguard endangered species from illegal trade.