Spider smuggler arrested

http://www.thelocal.de/society/20101204-31583.html

I don't know abut the laws in Germany even i spent a lot of time there. But i newer thought that that much money could be made on spiders.

Regards, BKK

He's been arrested in Los Angeles by US authorities because of violation of US laws and international regulations (CITES, genus Brachypelma).
Furthermore, he could be punished in the USA for violation of foreign laws due to the Lacey Act.

There are some high priced species of tarantulas with prices up to 500 Euro or even more. Even "common" spiders like Brachypelma spp. can bring "good" money, if you smuggle them in large amounts of 300 specimens (they do not need much space).
regards
Peter

Peter Zürcher wrote:: He's been arrested in Los Angeles by US authorities because of violation of US laws and international regulations (CITES, genus Brachypelma).
Furthermore, he could be punished in the USA for violation of foreign laws due to the Lacey Act.

There are some high priced species of tarantulas with prices up to 500 Euro or even more. Even "common" spiders like Brachypelma spp. can bring "good" money, if you smuggle them in large amounts of 300 specimens (they do not need much space).
regards
Peter

This whole thing was a sting operation by the fish & wildlife. This guy was lured to bring in a box of CB spiders, but sure, he should have known better.
Some species are expensive a few years before they are bred a lot and then the price drop dramatically. In the US the price range for tarantulas are quite different from Europe, but theres only a handful of dealers that makes a living on it. But no spiderling in Europe have a price tag of 500 euro.

The most expensive spider I know is Poecilotheria Metallica. Addult females can cost arround 500€, males arround 100€ and slings are available from 50-70€. But there is possible some other species, but I know not of any, of course I'm not putting a lot of interest on spiders. Maybe a spider enthusiast would know this. There is probably a lot of poorly known species and also a lot of collectors who would have them and are prepared to pay a lot of money for them. That gives some smuglers an oportunity to make some money. It's the same with other exotic animals and also with snakes.

Regards, BKK

Bostjan Kraner wrote:: The most expensive spider I know is Poecilotheria Metallica. Addult females can cost arround 500€, males arround 100€ and slings are available from 50-70€. But there is possible some other species, but I know not of any, of course I'm not putting a lot of interest on spiders. Maybe a spider enthusiast would know this. There is probably a lot of poorly known species and also a lot of collectors who would have them and are prepared to pay a lot of money for them. That gives some smuglers an oportunity to make some money. It's the same with other exotic animals and also with snakes.

Regards, BKK

Adults are rarly available and have a different price then spiderlings, but even so the price on metallica have dropped a lot since the first spiderlings were available.
Monocentropus balfouri is another one that fetch a few euro but same will happen there, the more eggsacks getting hatched the lower the price.
Even common spiders today such as geniculata, irminia and lividum was top dollars once, now they are almost free. So, the chance of earning 300,000 dollar is next to nothing because the prices drop quickly.

Must be a very stupid smuggler then, risking that much for nothing Laughing

I can not really imagine how many spiders would have to be sold for 300000$. Not very wise smuggler, I agree.

Regards, BKK

Peter Zürcher wrote:: Must be a very stupid smuggler then, risking that much for nothing

Stranger things have happened.

As psalmopeus Irminia was mentioned i found some pictures of my female.
Spider smuggler arrested Psalmo10

Regards, BKK

Press release from department of justice:

http://www.justice.gov/usao/cac/pressroom/pr2010/174.html

Borstjan,
nice picture of your female Psalmopeus.
She's got a real kissie mouth rabbit

.
I find spiders interesting and beautidull, but they still give me the creeps.

Everybody,
Why not ship the animals legal way? I don't understand.
But I'm not femiliar with shippinglaws of animals.

Arjan Breedveld wrote:: Borstjan,
nice picture of your female Psalmopeus.
She's got a real kissie mouth .
I find spiders interesting and beautidull, but they still give me the creeps.

Everybody,
Why not ship the animals legal way? I don't understand.
But I'm not femiliar with shippinglaws of animals.

Its expensive and probably the fish & wildlife asked him not to the first two times so they could arrest him the third.

The thing I see here and I have seen in another "bust" is the fact they put so much emphasis on the money involved. In all reality, the money factor is neither here nor there. Meaning it is not the point regardless. But the ploy of emphasizing the large amounts of money works, even on herpers. Most of the responses on this topic are based on the money itself and not the crime(s).

If I remember right, there was one species that was illegal to ship here (in the States), yet they confiscate them all? And to put so much emphasis on the money factor is just very typical of our government here. Which is ironic since this is a capitalistic country....

If the animals were not shipped properly then that should be a violation in itself. If the there was an outlawed species involved then that should be a another violation in itself. But to go after the money is government-based highway robbery which tips the scale in their favor.

And, which of these government geniuses decides the "street value" of them anyways? In the other bust I am referring to, I saw pictures of normal ball pythons being held up for display by San Francisco Animal Control Officers stating they were worth some insane amount of money ( I cannot remember the exact amount, but it was ludicrous!). Again, in that situation the violation was because the owner had ball pythons and boa constrictors which are evidently illegal to own in the city of San Francisco. But, the entire emphasis was on the money!! Such a pet peeve of mine...

Greg Spencer wrote:: 'The thing I see here and I have seen in another "bust" is the fact they put so much emphasis on the money involved. In all reality, the money factor is neither here nor there. Meaning it is not the point regardless'.

Animal smuggling is not a charity. The whole point of this illegal activity is to try to circumvent laws that are in place to protect sensitive or threatened species and provide a marketplace for collectors who are willing to pay for a particular animal that they apparently just 'have to have' regardless of the ramifications. Sincerely, Jon Davidson .

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