SMUGGLING OF ENDANGERED SPECIES

[Anchor Lead]

Imports and exports of endangered living species or waste products require permits from the environment ministry. Cases of illegal imports are on the rise lately.

[Pkg]

Inside this polystyrene box are several African clawed frogs. They were smuggled without a permit from authorities and caught by customs officials. An X-ray machine at the airport captures round objects. Wrapped in foil are Burmese star tortoises, an endangered species banned from being imported for commercial or personal use.

[Soundbite] Song Mi-jung(Incheon Customs) : "In this case, many different kinds of foreign live organisms were smuggled en masse. Animals that cost relatively less were reported to customs authorities, but those that are endangered or expensive were deliberately excluded from reporting."

Last month authorities caught a firm that had either smuggled some 4,800 endangered animals, such as turtles and lizards, or under-reported their numbers for years. Another firm imported sawdust made from waste lumber by capitalizing on the fact that wood sawdust can be imported without being reported to authorities. This year alone, 20 cases of smuggling of foreign live organisms and 19 cases of illegal imports and exports of waste products have been detected. That's more than in the previous two years.

[Soundbite] Kim Jun-hyung(Korea Customs Service) : "Recyclable waste products are usually recycled within their countries. Waste products stipulated by law should be reported to or permitted by authorities before being exported overseas."

The Korea Customs Service defines illegal imports and exports of foreign live organisms and waste products as serious environmental crimes that pose a threat to the global environment and domestic ecosystem.