A massive wildlife trafficking crackdown has exposed the growing global trade in exotic insects. Australian authorities recently seized more than 100,000 live exotic cockroaches in what is being described as the country's largest-ever illegal invertebrate bust. The operation came just days after Kenyan officials dismantled a major ant-smuggling network involving thousands of rare Giant African Harvester Ants.

The cases have highlighted a booming underground market for exotic insects, driven by collectors, breeders, and online buyers willing to pay high prices for rare species. Experts warn that the illegal trade poses serious risks to biodiversity, agriculture, and ecosystems, with invasive species capable of causing lasting environmental damage.

From Cockroaches to Ants: Inside the Growing Global Insect Smuggling Trade

A US judge sentenced an extradited Liberian man to 63 months in prison for conspiring to traffic millions of dollars worth of horns and ivory from endangered rhinoceros and elephants, federal prosecutors said Thursday.

Moazu Kromah, an Uganda resident, was extradited from the west African country to the United States in June 2019, pleading guilty in March of this year to one count of conspiracy to commit wildlife trafficking and two counts of wildlife trafficking, the office of the US Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Damian Williams, said in a statement.

The trafficking plot involved the illegal poaching of more than around 35 rhinoceros and more than 100 elephants.

Williams praised the more than five-year sentence handed down by US District Judge Gregory H. Woods.&nbsp;

"Today's sentence demonstrates that those who are responsible for the decimation of global populations of endangered and threatened animals protected by international agreements will face serious consequences," he said.&nbsp;

Kromah, 49, and accomplices had buyers in the United States and Southeast Asia, trafficking some 190 kilograms (nearly 420 pounds) of rhinoceros horns and at least some 10 tons of elephant ivory from East African countries between roughly 2012 and 2019.

The estimated average retail value of the rhinoceros horn and elephant ivory was at least around $3.4 million and $4 million respectively.

During the investigation, law enforcement agents intercepted multiple packages bound for Manhattan buyers containing rhinoceros horns.

They concealed some of the animal parts in pieces of art such as African masks and statues, the New York investigators say.&nbsp;

Poaching is fueled by a seemingly insatiable demand for rhino horn in Asia, where people pay huge sums for a substance -- coveted as a traditional medicine -- that is composed mainly of keratin, the same substance as in human nails.

Kromah is one of five men accused of being part of a criminal enterprise.&nbsp;

Kenyan Mansur Mohamed Surur was extradited to the United States last year and pled guilty to trafficking and drug dealing charges, according to a June statement from Williams's office.

Guinean Amara Cherif is also in US custody and pled guilty to the charges against him in April this year.&nbsp;

Co-defendants Badru Abdul Aziz Saleh and Abdi Hussein Ahmed have reportedly been arrested.

 
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A US judge sentenced an extradited Liberian man to 63 months in prison for conspiring to traffic millions of dollars worth of horns and ivory from endangered rhinoceros and elephants, federal prosecutors said Thursday.

A US judge sentenced an extradited Liberian man to 63 months in prison for conspiring to traffic millions of dollars worth of horns and ivory from endangered rhinoceros and elephants, federal prosecutors said Thursday. Moazu Kromah, an Uganda resident, was extradited from the west African country to the United States in June 2019, pleading guilty in March of this year to one count of conspiracy to commit wildlife trafficking and two counts of wildlife trafficking, the office of the US Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Damian Williams, said in a statement. The trafficking plot involved the illegal poaching of more than around 35 rhinoceros and more than 100 elephants. Williams praised the more than five-year sentence handed down by US District Judge Gregory H. Woods. "Today's sentence demonstrates that those who are responsible for the decimation of global populations of endangered and threatened animals protected by international agreements will face serious consequences," he said. Kromah, 49, and accomplices had buyers in the United States and Southeast Asia, trafficking some 190 kilograms (nearly 420 pounds) of rhinoceros horns and at least some 10 tons of elephant ivory from East African countries between roughly 2012 and 2019. The estimated average retail value of the rhinoceros horn and elephant ivory was at least around $3.4 million and $4 million respectively. During the investigation, law enforcement agents intercepted multiple packages bound for Manhattan buyers containing rhinoceros horns. They concealed some of the animal parts in pieces of art such as African masks and statues, the New York investigators say. Poaching is fueled by a seemingly insatiable demand for rhino horn in Asia, where people pay huge sums for a substance -- coveted as a traditional medicine -- that is composed mainly of keratin, the same substance as in human nails. Kromah is one of five men accused of being part of a criminal enterprise. Kenyan Mansur Mohamed Surur was extradited to the United States last year and pled guilty to trafficking and drug dealing charges, according to a June statement from Williams's office. Guinean Amara Cherif is also in US custody and pled guilty to the charges against him in April this year. Co-defendants Badru Abdul Aziz Saleh and Abdi Hussein Ahmed have reportedly been arrested.

US judge sentences wildlife trafficker to more than 5 years in jail

The poisonous frog Oophaga lehmanni, which was at risk of extinction due to illegal wildlife trafficking, has been saved by an alliance of Colombian scientists and environmental organisations after years of investigations and experiments.

With the hope of saving it from extinction and starting its repopulation, scientists have reproduced 29 specimens of the frog and finally released the individuals in the Colombian Pacific region.

According to Carlos Galvis, Chief Population Biologist of the Zoological Foundation of Cali, "It's a very complex species in terms of management, very difficult to reproduce and very difficult to maintain under human care. Therefore, the fact of standardising its management, achieving successful reproduction allows us to generate individuals that are currently being released."

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"We observe how they (the frogs) adapt to this ecosystem, which is theirs, but it is a constant monitoring. And the idea is that of these first 29 (frogs) in a moment there will be many more little frogs and now we can tell the world that they are not in danger of extinction," said Marco Antonio Suarez, Director General of the Autonomous Corporation of Valle del Cauca (CVC).

"As far as the illegal trade in wild animals is concerned, unfortunately there are still people on the European market who sell them for rather large sums of money and people simply want to keep them in aquariums or elsewhere without any sense," he added.

Freddy Rebolledo, Anchicaya community leader, told news agency AFP that "We had already been working with (frogs) monitoring, partially in the field, and we achieved to study the site. It is a site that previously had frogs that, due to various factors, had already become extinct."

Colombia is home to 734 frog species, more than any other country except Brazil. The Humboldt Institute, an environmental research group, says at least 160 amphibian species in Colombia are critically endangered.

(With inputs from agencies)

Watch WION's live TV here:

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The poisonous frog Oophaga lehmanni, which was at risk of extinction due to illegal wildlife trafficking, has been saved by an alliance of Colombian scientists and environmental organisations after years of investigations and experiments.

The poisonous frog Oophaga lehmanni, which was at risk of extinction due to illegal wildlife trafficking, has been saved by an alliance of Colombian scientists and environmental organisations after years of investigations and experiments. With the hope of saving it from extinction and starting its repopulation, scientists have reproduced 29 specimens of the frog and finally released the individuals in the Colombian Pacific region. According to Carlos Galvis, Chief Population Biologist of the Zoological Foundation of Cali, "It's a very complex species in terms of management, very difficult to reproduce and very difficult to maintain under human care. Therefore, the fact of standardising its management, achieving successful reproduction allows us to generate individuals that are currently being released." "We observe how they (the frogs) adapt to this ecosystem, which is theirs, but it is a constant monitoring. And the idea is that of these first 29 (frogs) in a moment there will be many more little frogs and now we can tell the world that they are not in danger of extinction," said Marco Antonio Suarez, Director General of the Autonomous Corporation of Valle del Cauca (CVC). "As far as the illegal trade in wild animals is concerned, unfortunately there are still people on the European market who sell them for rather large sums of money and people simply want to keep them in aquariums or elsewhere without any sense," he added. Freddy Rebolledo, Anchicaya community leader, told news agency AFP that "We had already been working with (frogs) monitoring, partially in the field, and we achieved to study the site. It is a site that previously had frogs that, due to various factors, had already become extinct." Colombia is home to 734 frog species, more than any other country except Brazil. The Humboldt Institute, an environmental research group, says at least 160 amphibian species in Colombia are critically endangered. (With inputs from agencies) Watch WION's live TV here:

Scientists reproduce 29 specimens of endangered frogs to begin its repopulation

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