Chinese police crack largest ever wildlife trafficking case

BEIJING (AFP) Nov 25, 2003
Macaque monkeys, an endangered species, can breathe a sigh of relief after Chinese police cracked what is described as the country's largest wildlife trafficking case ever, state media said Tuesday.

One of the main culprits, Beijing businessman Jia Ruisheng, bought a total of 2,130 macaques over a period of a year from traffickers, who were mostly from central Anhui province, the Xinhua news agency reported.

Police were alerted to the trafficking ring when one of the traffickers was caught with two monkeys on board a train in November last year, according to the report.

The trial against the traffickers will soon open at a court in northwest China's Xian city, Xinhua said.

Macaque monkeys are often kept as pets and are also used in scientific research.

TERRA.WIRE