A wildlife trafficker has been convicted of attempting to send 43 lizards from Australia to Hong Kong.
Bichuan Zhang was sentenced to two years and four months in prison on Saturday after trying to illegally export a number of native species, including blue-tongue skinks, shingleback skinks and eastern water dragons.
The 33-year-old man attempted to post the reptiles from post offices in Sydney and Wollongong between December 2023 and January 2024. Some were packed in plastic containers and socks, while others were inserted into plastic and rubber toys, including a triceratops.
The animals were restrained in their own filth without access to water or food.
Zhang was arrested as part of Operation Maxima, an international investigation led by the environmental crime team in the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW) who worked with authorities in Hong Kong.
Environment and water minister Tanya Plibersek said this sentence was a warning to anyone thinking of getting involved in wildlife trafficking.
“People who trade in animals in this way are cruel and selfish, and I’ll do whatever I can to make sure they cop the full force of the law,” she said.
“Our unique animals are highly valued overseas. They are vulnerable to wildlife trafficking and deserve the strongest protection from wildlife traffickers and this cruel trade.”
Wildlife crime is a global problem increasingly recognised as a specialised area of organised crime requiring coordinated domestic and international enforcement.
This is a significant issue for government, as wildlife trafficking has implications for biosecurity as well as conservation and animal welfare.
Exporting Australian wildlife is a serious offence under Australia’s national environment law, the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999.
Each offence has a maximum penalty of 10 years’ imprisonment and fines of up to $313,000 or both.
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