Irish travelers gang in French court for ivory trafficking

Nine suspected members of an international network of rhino horn and ivory traffickers were tried in France on Monday after an investigation shed light on illicit trade links between Europe and Asia. East.

French prosecutors opened their investigation after a random inspection of motorway traffic by police in September 2015 which led to the discovery of several elephant tusks and € 32,800 in cash in a BMW.

The occupants of the car, who claimed to be antique dealers, are believed to be members of the Rathkeale Rovers, an Irish criminal gang with roots in the Traveler community.

The nine defendants are on trial in the city of Rennes, alongside traders suspected of Chinese and Vietnamese origin. They face up to 10 years in prison and heavy fines of up to € 750,000.

Two of the defendants, however, are at large.

Tusks transformed for the traditional medicine trade

French police discovered that ivory and rhino horn were processed into powder, flakes and other objects on French soil before being exported to Vietnam and China where they are used in traditional medicine.

According to the environmental group Robin des Bois, an unusually large horn weighing nearly 15 kilos was seized during the investigation, which would have brought in around 13 million euros when processed at the prices of the Asian market at the time.

About 40 elephant tusks have also been discovered.
Robin des Bois, who is observing the trial, alleged that auction houses in the French cities of Cannes, Toulouse and Le Puy had facilitated the export of tusks to Vietnam and China.

“Before the smuggling, its haggling and its scams, there is poaching with its cruelties,” the group said in a statement.

“Trafficking in wild animals also contributes to the destruction and impoverishment of ecosystems, encourages speculation in elephant ivory and rhino horns and thus stimulates poaching.

The Rathkeale Rovers were the target of a joint European police investigation in 2010 which led to the arrest of 31 people, including theft of rhino horns, police agency Europol said on its website.