"Cobra Found in Residential Area" Endangered Species Smuggling Ring Busted

Five Members Indicted for Smuggling and Distributing Endangered Species
Coded Ads Using Terms Like "Dolls" and "Figures" to Avoid Detection
Secret Breeding and Resale in Apartments and Small Room Housing

A criminal organization involved in smuggling and distributing exotic wild animals such as cobras, which are designated as endangered species, has been brought to trial. The group purchased reptiles and other animals whose trade is prohibited from overseas and smuggled them into South Korea, where they were sold through online forums and communities. Recent incidents of wild animals found in various locations across the country have also been linked to this organization.

Cobras, Burmese pythons, and monocled cobras found in apartment complexes and residential areas nationwide. Seoul Eastern District Prosecutors' Office

The Criminal Division 2 of the Seoul Eastern District Prosecutors' Office (headed by Chief Prosecutor Lee Seunghak) announced on August 6 that it had indicted, without bail, a man in his twenties, identified as Mr. A, who is the leader of the smuggling organization, on charges of violating the Customs Act, the Wildlife Protection Act, and receiving brokerage bribes under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes. Four other members, including Mr. B, who smuggled dozens of exotic animals, were also indicted without detention on charges of violating the Customs Act and the Wildlife Protection Act.

According to prosecutors, from November 2023 to August 2024, Mr. A and others illegally imported endangered wild animal species, whose international trade is strictly regulated under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), from countries such as Indonesia and Vietnam into South Korea. They then distributed these animals for amounts ranging from several hundred thousand to tens of millions of won.

After smuggling the wild animals purchased through local dealers and social media channels overseas, Mr. A and his group advertised them in specialized online reptile forums using coded terms such as "dolls" and "figures." Once a transaction was confirmed, they delivered the animals by express intercity bus package delivery to various regions nationwide. In particular, to avoid detection by customs during smuggling, they bound the mouths of the animals or used pressurized packaging, which caused many of the wild animals to die from extreme stress.

Mr. A and his group secretly kept the smuggled animals in densely populated residential areas such as apartments, villas, and small-room housing. Prosecutors confiscated 95 endangered animals, including cobras and Yangtze alligators, and some of these animals are currently being housed at the National Institute of Ecology.

The criminal activities of Mr. A's organization came to light on July 18, when the Han River Basin Environmental Office referred Mr. B to the prosecutor without detention on charges of violating the Wildlife Protection Act. Mr. B was caught by customs while attempting to smuggle wild animals through Incheon International Airport and initially claimed he acted alone. However, prosecutors questioned how someone with no prior offenses could complete overseas transactions and attempt smuggling, leading them to launch a supplementary investigation. They subsequently uncovered that Mr. A and others were behind the smuggling operation.

A prosecution official stated, "We have isolated wild animals that are highly venomous, aggressive, or pose a risk of disease transmission from residential environments to ensure public safety," adding, "We will respond strictly to the smuggling and illegal distribution of exotic wild animals."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.