INTERNET WILDLIFE TRAFFICKERS GO TO JAIL
Recently, the People’s Court of Minh Hoa district (Quang Binh province) sentenced Dinh Minh Tinh (resided in Yen Nhat village, Yen Hoa commune, Minh Hoa district) to a 12-month prison sentence for violating regulations on endangered, precious and rare animals protection laws.
Previously, on June 17, 2022, the police of Minh Hoa district (Quang Binh province) checked and arrested Dinh Minh Tinh when he was transporting three bear claws (Ursus thibetanus) for consumption.
According to information recorded in the database of wildlife violations of Education for Nature – Vietnam (ENV), Dinh Minh Tinh has regularly posted advertising articles, selling. tiger cubs, bear claws, bear bile, tiger claws, tiger fangs, ivory and many other wildlife products on social media from 2020 until the time of arrest.
Despite being warned by local authorities about illegal acts, the subject still showed a defiant attitude and continued to create new social media accounts on Facebook, Zalo, YouTube every time his old accounts were reported and removed. Up to the time of arrest, the subject had used a total of 19 social media accounts to advertise and trade illegal wildlife.
Efforts to prosecute and apply the appropriate punishment for the criminal acts of Dinh Minh Tinh showed the high determination of the authorities of Minh Hoa district in the fight against wildlife advertisement and trade on the Internet.
In recent years, the situation of wildlife violations in cyberspace in Vietnam has become more and more complex. In the first three quarters of 2022 alone, ENV’s wildlife violations database has recorded 2,600 wildlife violations, of which 52% are Internet violations (1,326 cases). Some common social media platforms where the violations took place are Facebook, Zalo, YouTube, and TikTok.
Taking advantage of the convenience of the Internet (easy sales, convenient sale agreements with customers, using many anonymous virtual accounts, etc. making it difficult for authorities to investigate), many subjects have publicly advertise and sold wildlife and wildlife products illegally, including many endangered, precious and rare species, or “prohibited goods” as prescribed by the law. Although most of the subjects are aware that the products they are selling are prohibited goods, the high profits and low risk have motivated the subjects to capture endangered, precious and rare wildlife species to make illicit gains.
Recently, ENV has also recorded many severe penalties for wildlife traffickers on the Internet. In addition to high fines for advertising “prohibited goods” wildlife on social media, many wildlife traffickers on the Internet have also been prosecuted after being found guilty of transporting, trading wildlife and products or parts of endangered, precious and rare wildlife.
On September 30, 2022, the People’s Court of Cau Giay District (Hanoi) sentenced Dang Van Tuong to 30 months in prison for illegally trading in rhino horn and tiger organs. Previously, ENV had recorded Tuong regularly advertising and illegally selling wild animals on social media from January 2022.
On January 19, 2022, the People’s Court of Phu Nhuan District (Ho Chi Minh City) also sentenced Ly Hai Tho to 24 months in prison for illegally possessing 01 frozen tiger and 01 bear head specimen, and 01 tiger head specimen. From April 2022, the authorities have started to record the illegal advertising and sale of wild animals on the Internet of the subject.
Source: Môi trường và Đô thị
