The roots were bound for China
Three plastic bags with 385 wild ginseng roots weighting 3.5 kilos were confiscated from a Russian citizen by Far Eastern Operative customs officers. The precious plant has been listed in the Russian Red List of threatened species and in Appendix II of CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora). A criminal case has been filed against him.
All roots were in good salable condition. "The packaging method indicates that the roots were prepared for rapid transportation and were meant to be taken to the other side of the border. We believe he was just a part of a well-organised smuggling ring," said Sergey Aramilev, WWF Amur branch biodiversity conservation programme co-ordinator.
Apart from wild ginseng roots, Amur tiger and Far Eastern leopard parts are smuggled through such channels.
Last year, the organiser of a smuggling ring to China was jailed for for smuggling 3142 wild ginseng roots (29 kilos).
"Illegal harvesting of big packages of wild ginseng causes great damage to the nature," said Pavel Fomenko, WWF Amur branch biodiversity conservation programme co-ordinator.
"Despite these facts as well as appeals of Russian Academy of Science and WWF Russia to the government, administrative agencies never took enough measures for effective protection of this rare plant."
Three plastic bags with 385 wild ginseng roots weighting 3.5 kilos were confiscated from a Russian citizen by Far Eastern Operative customs officers. The precious plant has been listed in the Russian Red List of threatened species and in Appendix II of CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora). A criminal case has been filed against him.
All roots were in good salable condition. "The packaging method indicates that the roots were prepared for rapid transportation and were meant to be taken to the other side of the border. We believe he was just a part of a well-organised smuggling ring," said Sergey Aramilev, WWF Amur branch biodiversity conservation programme co-ordinator.
Apart from wild ginseng roots, Amur tiger and Far Eastern leopard parts are smuggled through such channels.
Last year, the organiser of a smuggling ring to China was jailed for for smuggling 3142 wild ginseng roots (29 kilos).
"Illegal harvesting of big packages of wild ginseng causes great damage to the nature," said Pavel Fomenko, WWF Amur branch biodiversity conservation programme co-ordinator.
"Despite these facts as well as appeals of Russian Academy of Science and WWF Russia to the government, administrative agencies never took enough measures for effective protection of this rare plant."
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