Spanish police said on Monday that they had arrested two people suspected of selling exotic online cats, including protected species such as white tigers and pumas, and had confiscated 19 felines in the operation.
The police arrested the couple on the island of Mallorca, where they are suspected of raising lynx and servaux of the desert, a wild cat from Africa, as well as hybrid species created by crossing these races with domestic cats, the police said in a press release. According to the Mallorca Daily BulletinThe two suspects arrested are Russian.
Other surveys have revealed that their activities were only “the tip of the iceberg” of an international operation for the trafficking of protected species such as white tigers and black panthers “involving breeders, carriers and veterinarians,” said the Ministry of Civil Guard and the Spanish interior in a press release.
“Most of the animals offered for sale came from countries like Russia, Belarus and Ukraine to be introduced as a smuggling in the European Union,” they added.
Police suspect that animals have been brought to the European Union via Poland from Belarus, then were offered through the block with false documents.
Among the other species that the couple offered for sale on their social media accounts was the European lynx, hyenas and pumas. Officials have published several images showing cats in enclosures and officers evidence.
The police said that the suspects had offered a Léopard darkened, one of the rarest and most elusive cats in the world, at a price of 60,000 euros ($ 68,000).
The officers also seized a caracal, a desert lynx known for its distinct long tufts, as well as two servals and 16 hybrid felines.
They also seized more than 40 animal passports from Russia, Belarus and China as part of the operation.
Police said attempts to reproduce and keep exotic cats while pets were widespread in Russia and Ukraine, and the trend has spread to other countries.
“These species require a lot of space,” said the police. “In addition, they are very aggressive and can put a danger for people or other animals, so many people end up getting rid of these specimens.”
