For possession and commercialization of two red footed tortoisesChelonoidis carbonarius) two citizens were sentenced to four years in prison and the payment of a fine of ten unified basic salaries (4,250 dollars) that must be paid in equal parts.
The staff of the National Forest and Wildlife Control System of the Ministry of the Environment, Water and Ecological Transition carried out the retention of the species and verified that the two tortoises are native to the savannahs and forests of Panama, Guianas, Brazil, Paraguayamong other countries and are not distributed in Ecuador, however, reptiles are protected by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) Appendix II.
In the first half of 2022, 5,368 live wild animals, victims of trafficking, were confiscated in Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia and Brazil
The members of the Investigation Unit for Crimes Against the Environment and Nature, of the Judicial Police, determined the direct perpetrators of this crime against wildlife to Kevin Daniel SL (with a criminal record) and Jennifer Jazmín LL The sentenced sold to the chelonians in Quito.
The turtles were transferred to the Quito Vivarium, where they remain under observation. The report sent by the expert appointed by the Prosecutor’s Office for the investigation of the case indicated that one of the defendants had a mobile device with different conversations related to the acquisition and sale of turtles, parrots, among other species that were exported without permission for commercialization. .
When determining the sentence, protected by the Comprehensive Organic Criminal Code, article 247 on crimes against wild flora and fauna that stipulates from 1 to 3 years in prison, citizens received a third more sanction according to articles 44 and 47 for having found aggravating circumstances.
The young of wild species are other victims of animal trafficking in Ecuador
In the province of Pichincha, in the last ten months, 677 species have been rescued, such as: horse-riding boas, large charapa turtles, sea cucumbers, armadillos, birds, among others, according to the Ministry of the Environment. (YO)
Source: Eluniverso
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