03.03.2021 – 09:34
Hauptzollamt Frankfurt am Main
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Frankfurt am Main (ots)
Today around 5,800 wild animal species and 30,000 plant species are threatened with extinction worldwide. In order to protect fauna and flora, German customs monitor compliance with the legal import and export regulations in international trade. Species-protected animals and plants, as well as goods made from them, which are imported or exported in violation of the prohibition or without the required documents, are confiscated by the customs authorities. It is irrelevant here whether the goods are transported privately or commercially, in travel, in the mail or on other transport routes.
The customs officers across Germany struck gold more than 1,400 times in 2019 and confiscated almost 38 tons and almost 470,000 animals and plants or products made from them.
At the main customs office in Frankfurt am Main, 824 seizures were made in 2019 with 51,643 species-protected individual specimens for examination of the individual cases. These included 7,702 live animals and 152 live plants. These were often species-protected corals, ornamental fish, snakes and turtles. In addition, 43,789 products from species-protected animals and plants were confiscated, mostly as holiday souvenirs in tourist traffic.
“With its work, customs make an important contribution to the protection of biological biodiversity. Unfortunately, we still see too many violations of species protection regulations. For example, we find food supplements with components of species-protected plants and animals almost every day, especially in mail and freight traffic . But travelers also always bring protected souvenirs with them, “says Isabell Gillmann, press spokeswoman at the main customs office in Frankfurt am Main.
On February 10, an officer from the main customs office in Frankfurt am Main checked the luggage of a flight from Malé / Maldives with her species protection dog “Greta”. This indicated on four hard-shell suitcases that there might be animal products in them. The two pieces of luggage were opened and the bitch’s good sense of smell was confirmed. A total of around 13 kilograms of partly species-protected mussels, snails and coral fragments came to light.
Another successful find took place at the end of January by another team of species protection dogs at Frankfurt Airport. Species protection dog “Nela” sniffed out a large number of hard corals with a total weight of 13 kilograms in three travel suitcases from Barbados.
Extra information:
The main customs office in Frankfurt am Main is a certified employer according to the “berufundfamilie” audit. We offer apprenticeships. More details under www.zoll.de – Job and career.
Please send any questions to:
Hauptzollamt Frankfurt am Main
Communication department
Isabell Gillmann
Phone: 069 / 690-74189
Email: [email protected]
www.zoll.de
Original content from: Hauptzollamt Frankfurt am Main, transmitted by news aktuell
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