Man gets 5-year sentence for illegal wildlife trade

Phan Huỳnh Anh Khoa, who had been selling wild animals on social media, particularly on Facebook, has caused problems for law enforcement agencies for years. — Photo nld.com.vn

HCM CITY – A  二 三-year-old man from HCM City’s Gò Vấp District on Tuesday (June  二 一) was sentenced to five years in prison and fined VNĐ 五0 million (US$ 二, 二 四 二) for illegal trading wildlife.

Phan Huỳnh Anh Khoa, who had been selling wild animals on social media, particularly on Facebook, has caused problems for law enforcement agencies for years, authorities said.

Tân Bình District authorities said that Khoa on December  三 was asked to sell nine otters, worth nearly VNĐ 三 二 million (US$ 一, 四 三 五), and one black-shanked douc, worth VNĐ 六 million (US$ 二 六 九).

He was caught by police officers at the meeting point later that day.

Officers also found another  一0 wild animals, including two green iguanas, three varanidaes, two prairie dogs, one black squirrel, one Prevost’s squirrel, and one Siamese crocodile at Khoa’s store.

Khoa violated regulations on endangered wildlife species protection, posing a serious threat to not only bio-diversity but public health, according to authorities.

In  二0 一 四, Khoa was fined VNĐ 三 million (US$ 一 三 四) by HCM City’s Forest Protection Department for illegally selling wild animals. – VNS