Hippies and crime gangs rake in millions selling native Australian wildlife on the black market

This is how organised crime gangs and wildlife traffickers are raking in millions of dollars a year selling native species on the black market.

Up to 12 lizards were seized after raids at Narre Warren, Oakleigh and Clayton in Melbourne in 2019 including this creature. Picture: AAP

Exclusive: Hippies travelling around the Australian outback, exotic pet dealers, tourists, get-rich-quick opportunists and organised crime gangs have been outed playing a part in snatching Australian wildlife to sell on the lucrative black market.

Wildlife traffickers are making millions of dollars a year selling Australia’s unique and highly sought after animals and birds – with buyers paying an average of $30,000 for one black cockatoo and $20,000 for a lizard.

In the past two years seven people have been charged with dozens of offences and hundreds of animals have been rescued as authorities smashed criminal syndicates running the black market trade selling Australian native and exotic animals.

Wildlife Tourism Australia chair Ronda Green said people have been hiring hippy/kombi vans driving around the outback collecting lizards and snakes and other wildlife and selling them to pay for their trips.

“It is hard to know how many people are involved because a lot of them go undetected,” Ms Green said.

“We have been advising tour operators not to take tourists to places where they could easily poach animals.”

Australian wildlife is in demand on the black market.

Wildlife trafficking is now one of the most profitable, illicit markets in the world, and Australia’s exotic and unique animals are big ticket items.

The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, in Southeast Asia and Pacific, says wildlife and forest crime is one of the largest transnational organised criminal activities in the region, generating an estimated US$19.5 billion (A$25.1 billion) a year – making it the fourth largest global criminal enterprise after the illicit movement of drugs, guns and modern slavery.

Criminal analysts say the low risk, low fines, and potential for massive returns on investment have attracted crime gangs and now the attention of the Australian law enforcement.

Australian authorities are cracking down on wildlife trafficking and warning people to be on the lookout for suspicious activities including financial transactions.

The Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment is focusing on disrupting wildlife crime in Australia by identifying individuals and organised crime groups and prosecuting offenders, and has joined forces with the Australian Federal Police, state police, Interpol, Australian Border Force, environmental agencies, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, and the World Customs organisation to smash international trafficking rings.

Items seized that have been used to smuggle reptiles overseas. Picture: AAP

Australia’s financial crimes watchdog Austrac has also released a crime guide on how to identify, target and report suspicious financial activity that may be linked to the wildlife trafficking trade, based on intelligence gleaned from known wildlife trafficking operations.

While animals are being smuggled out of the country, authorities have also discovered illegal animals/products are being smuggled into Australia in a reverse black market pet trade operation.

Western Sydney man Mohamad El-Cheikh faced Parramatta Local Court yesterday for sentencing after admitting to bringing into Australia 21 bird eggs from South Africa.

The court heard El Cheikh was stopped at Sydney International Airport in August 2019, where he was found to have the bird eggs – including rare and endangered Macaws, while bellied parrots, hawk head parrots and Amazon parrots – in his bag and strapped to his body.

The court was told some of the eggs were in the process of hatching and chirping noises could be heard.

Crown prosecutor Monica Perotti said the offence which was for financial gain was so serious El-Cheikh should face a full time custodial sentence.

Mohamad El-Cheikh was sentenced in Parramatta Local Court after pleading guilty to attempting to smuggle 21 bird eggs into Australia. Picture: Natalie O'Brien

Evidence in the Mohamad El-Cheikh wildlife trafficking case. Picture: Supplied

Magistrate Peter Feather told El-Cheikh one of the ramifications of his crime – apart from the risk to the environment and to primary industry from disease – was that the “beautiful creatures” had lost their lives.

Despite facing a maximum penalty of 10 years in jail and a $210,000 fine, Mr Feather said he took into account El-Cheikh’s remorse and good prospects of rehabilitation before sentencing him to 18 months jail to be served as an intensive community corrections order.

He was also ordered to perform 250 hours of community service.

Federal Environment Minister Sussan Ley yesterday told News Corp Australia she found details of El-Cheikh’s crimes “horrific”.

“And unfortunately for these animals, the international wildlife trade exposes exotic animals all too often.

“As part of our international commitments, we need to protect both our native species and those from other countries and put an end to this insidious trade,” Ms Ley said.

Buddy Pogmore was sentenced to three years jail after pleading guilty to trying to export native species. Picture: Instagram

In December last year, 27-year-old Sydney man Buddy Leigh Pogmore was sentenced to three years jail after pleading guilty to two counts of attempting to export regulated native species, one count of dealing with proceeds of crime worth $50,000 or more, and two counts of dealing in protected animals in contravention of the NSW Biosecurity Act 2016.

Pogmore was arrested after a two-year investigation by environmental crime investigators and police which led to a raid of his home and officers seizing various native replies including a python, Monitors, a Death Adder, Geckos and Blue-tongue lizards.

Investigators also seized two parcels addressed to Zhongshan City in China containing three shingleback lizards.

During his sentencing, Pogmore testified that he was contacted by a man from China via Instagram asking him to send six live shingleback lizards to China.

Pogmore is due for release in June, 2022.

THE PRICES THE ANIMALS FETCH

■ Wildlife and forest crime is one of the largest transnational organised criminal activities in the region, generating an estimated US$19.5 billion ($A25 billion) a year;

■ Australian animals commanding high prices from buyers in China, South West Asia, Canada and the US;

■ Falcons can fetch as much as $200,000 on the black market;

■ Rare birds such as a black cockatoo from $30,000 to $100,000;

■ Lizards can sell for $20,000;

■ In December last year, 27-year-old Sydney man Buddy Leigh Pogmore was sentenced to three years jail after pleading guilty to two counts of attempting to export regulated native species, one count of dealing with proceeds of crime worth $50,000 or more, and two counts of dealing in protected animals;

■ Another Australian man has been charged with allegedly receiving $1 million for smuggling native lizards and skinks to buyers in China and Canada.

Originally published as Hippies and crime gangs rake in millions selling native Australian wildlife on the black market