Russians May Face Death in China for Bear Paw Smuggling

RIA Novosti ^ | 06/19/2013 | RIA Novosti

[TexGrill]

CHITA, June 19 (RAPSI) – Two Russian men face a possible death sentence after they were detained by Chinese customs officers for smuggling bear paws, a Foreign Ministry representative said.

Customs officers found 213 bear paws worth an estimated value of 2.8m yuan ($460,000) hidden inside the tires of a vehicle crossing from Russia into China in Manzhuoli, Inner Mongolia, on May 22, the Chinese Global Times newspaper reported.

The seizure is the largest bear paw smuggling operation uncovered in China to date, the paper said.

Bear parts are considered a delicacy in China and are also prized for their perceived medicinal value, but their sale is illegal. The penalty for smuggling animal parts in China ranges from five years in prison to a death penalty.

Bear paws are worth 10 times more in China than in Russia where they cost 2,000 rubles ($63) a kilogram, Chinese police said.

Foreign Ministry representative Alexei Kotelnikov said the two Russians, from the Trans-Baikal Territory in Siberia, are being held in a pretrial detention center in Inner Mongolia.

[TexGrill]

So when these guys were arrested, did the cops say, "get your paws up."

[Navy Patriot]

Policing for profit.

[Telepathic Intruder]

213 bear paws; they must have found a one-footed bear. Seriously, those Chinese are just plain weird. Who would pay, what was it... over $2,000 for a bear paw?

[Brad from Tennessee]

[Bear parts are considered a delicacy in China and are also prized for their perceived medicinal value, but their sale is illegal.]

The influx of Chinese into sub-Sahara Africa is blamed for an increase in Rhino poaching. The Chinese use the powdered Rhino horn for folk medicine.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/wildlife/8935724/Deadly-trade-rhino-horn-poaching-surges.html

[conservaterian]

Damn, would someone please tell the chinese about Viagra? It will save the wildlife.

[tacticalogic]

Damn, would someone please tell the chinese about Viagra?

The headers on the spam in my inbox say they already know.

[mosesdapoet]

Won’t go into link but wonder how they got caught.

[txnativegop]

I am beginning to think that everything is a delicacy to the Chinese.

Bear paws — ranks right up there with pickled pigs’ feet — neither of which are food IMO.

[Tainan]

I’ll tell you all something else...bear part poaching by Chinese, Koreans and damnable Americans selling to Asian buyers, has been actively going on in the U.S.A. for 25 yrs or more.