The largest illegal coral seizure ever made in the United Kingdom happened when officials discovered over 750 kilograms of illegal coral and rare clams at the Manchester Airport. The cargo originated in Vietnam then flew through Singapore on its way to the UK, a route of over 6,000 miles, before officials from the Border Force inspected the consignment container discovering the illegal haul.
The boxes labeled “marine fish and soft corals” were in fact full of over 650 stony corals and 60 clams (some up 20 cm) protected under CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) that were not declared to customs officials. The coral and clams were confiscated and taken to an undisclosed “safe” location, presumably a public aquarium.
A 23 year old man from Greater Manchester was arrested and later released on bail pending further inquiries
[via The Salty Box and Manchester News]
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