Cee4life Correspondent Report CCR
15/02/2017
After receiving information from the Australian based Not-for-Profit organisation, Cee4life (Conservation and Environmental Education 4 Life), Australian Federal Police Border Control/Immigration Officers, seized tiger body parts being brought into Australia on 2nd April 2016.
Cee4life had tracked multiple people between 2010 – 2016, who had purchased or were gifted tiger body part trinkets from the now defunct Tiger Temple, Thailand.
An ex-Tiger Temple volunteer had purchased the illegal tiger body parts at the notorious Tiger Temple for 7500 Baht (approx. $280 AU). They then proceeded to travel from Thailand to the UK, USA, Indonesia and then to Australia. When attempting to enter Australia, from the information supplied by Cee4life, the suspect was detained by the Australian Federal Border Control Police and the illegal tiger body parts were seized.
The offender has requested anonymity.
A Cee4life representative stated, “Although we had warned volunteers, staff and tourists at/to the Tiger Temple for many years on the ethics and legalities regarding the tigers, it was always brushed aside, ignored and defended in a volatile manner. Not only is it illegal to buy, sell, take or kill tigers and their body parts, but to transport body parts across international borders can equate to trafficking.”
“In the case of this ex volunteer who was detained in Australia, it equates to ignoring repeated warnings and paying the price. This is yet another example of human driven contributing factors [people ignoring warnings and law] that keep the demand of tiger body parts, and other animals, alive.”
“This volunteer had been told by Tiger Temple staff that if they were stopped with the tiger body parts [within Thailand or at any international border crossing or stopped by police ] they were to tell the Officers [ Police, Border Control/Immigration] that it was a dog tooth/claws. This proves that Tiger Temple sales persons knew that selling these tiger body parts was 100% illegal. There is no excuse and relatively innocent but gullible people have paid a high price for the corruption present inside of Tiger Temple.”
Prior to being caught in Australia, the offender crossed into countries that have very harsh punishments for wildlife trafficking crimes. If caught, it could have ended with them serving 10 years in a notoriously hard prison.
“At any time, they could have been caught. This is one of literally hundreds, if not thousands of people who have purchased or been gifted tiger body parts from the Tiger Temple. It has been a flourishing side business.“
The DNA of the confiscated tiger body parts can be used to trace back to tigers from the Tiger Temple, along with the offender’s statement and more, confirms the selling, buying and international transport of illegal tiger body parts.
Note: IF YOU HAVE PURCHASED OR BEEN GIVEN A TIGER BODY PART “MEMENTO” FROM TIGER TEMPLE PLEASE CONTACT CEE4LIFE URGENTLY.
Investigators from Cee4life found evidence that the Tiger Temple had been selling and gifting illegal tiger body parts to multiple staff, volunteers, visitors and guests dating back to approx. 2010. The buying, selling or trading of tiger body parts in Thailand is illegal in both the laws of the country and under CITES (Convention of the International Trade of Endangered Species, Wildlife and Plant Species). The further transportation across international borders of protected and endangered species body parts without any legal permission, is a crime punishable by the laws of each country.
The tiger is a critically endangered species and is protected by law in most countries and is an Appendix I listed species under CITES.
To read The Tiger Temple Report by Cee4life – http://www.cee4life.org/wp-content/uploads/cee4life_tiger-temple-report.pdf
For more information on the Tiger Temple and raids – http://www.cee4life.org/the-tiger-temple-report/
Cee4life Media
cee4lifeinc@outlook.com
www.cee4life.org