Thousands of endangered animals, plants found in Netherlands during intl. investigation

Dozens of protected wild animals and plants were found in the Netherlands during an international action against the trade of such species. The campaign took place in October, and the results have now been announced. The Dutch authorities did not report any arrests.

In a home in Rotterdam, detectives found a very young white-eared marmoset, a species of monkey that occurs in Brazil and may not be kept as a pet. In Noord-Holland, they found a Bengal cat - “a cross between a protected Bengal tiger cat and a domestic cat” - in someone’s home. Someone else in Noord-Holland had 14 New Zealand jewel geckos at home. The animals have been taken to a shelter. The geckos may return to New Zealand.

Nearly 3,500 living plants were also found during the operation, including the monkey tree, cacti, Venus flytrap, and peace palm. These may be sold if the seller has the right papers, but that was not the case here. Detectives also discovered over a thousand kilograms of products made from protected animals and plants.

According to the international police organization Interpol, the operation was carried out in 133 countries, and approximately 500 people were arrested. In total, thousands of turtle eggs, over 300 kilograms of ivory, and dozens of rhino horns were seized. Two red-handed tamarins were found in the Czech Republic, two crested langurs in Balngadesh, and pangolins were discovered in both Botswana and Mozambique. The participating countries also discovered a lot of illegal wood, enough to fill 440 shipping containers, Interpol said.