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Rabbit Advocacy Animal Matters
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Richmond man charged in U.S. with smuggling rhino horn, elephant ivory and coral August 1, 2014 The Province A Richmond antique store owner is facing charges for allegedly trying to smuggle rhinoceros horn and elephant ivory. Xiao Ju (Tony) Guan, the reported owner of Bao Antiques on Alderbridge Way, was indicted by a federal grand jury in Manhattan on Tuesday for conspiring to smuggle wildlife, including rhinoceros horn, elephant ivory and coral. According to a release from the U.S. Department of Justice, Guan was arrested on March 29, 2014 in New York. He'd flown there from Vancouver. Guan is alleged to have purchased two rhinocerous horns from undercover agents of the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service for $45,000. The Department of Justice alleges that Guan and an accomplice, described as a woman acting as his interpreter, had the agents drive them to an express mail store, where he shipped the horns to an address in Point Roberts, Washington. He is alleged to have labelled the shipment as containing "handicrafts" worth just $200. The DOJ alleges Guan told the agents he would drive to Point Roberts from Richmond to pick up the package and that he claimed to have done so many times before. Guan is alleged to have worked with co-conspirators to smuggle more that $500,000 of rhino horns and other scultpures made from elephant ivory and coral. He allegedly would purchase these items from auction houses throughout the U.S., either in a manner similar to the New York trip or by having items shipped directly to Canada, using false paperwork. While Guan was being arrested in Canada, Environment Canada executed a search warrant at the Richmond antiques business. According to documents obtained by the CBC, the Environment Canada officers had made an earlier visit to the store, where they observed ivory tusks and a bracelet. They also found similar items on the Bao Antiques website. Under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, dealers are required to obtain permits if they wish to sell or transfer items that originate from species that are in danger of becoming extinct. None of the allegations against Guan have been proven in court. July 10, 2019 Canada participates in largest-ever international enforcement operation to crack down on wildlife crimeRead more: June 2023 The reality of the importation of wildlife into Canada An analysis of Canada's declared live wildlife imports and implications for zoonotic disease risk Sign our petition to join us in calling on the Government of Canada to end the import in wild animals and end the global commercial wildlife trade. Forever. |