Following a lengthy trial at Ghent in Belgium, 5 people have been convicted of being part of a criminal organization, forging and falsifying permits and documents required to possess and trade in endangered species and for possessing rare birds of prey.  The investigation by the Belgian Federal Police, which lasted in excess of 6 years, resulted in enforcement action in 5 countries and included search warrants being executed in the UK by the Police and NWCU. 

The four men and one woman were part of a criminal gang that were acquiring some of the rarest birds of prey from the wild and then passing them off as having been bred in captivity using falsified and forged permits.

The five defendants received jail terms ranging from 4 years down to 1 year and hefty fines in excess of 200K Euros.

The court ordered the forfeiture on cash and assets in excess of 700K Euros. 

Dozens of birds including Kites, Eagles and Vultures were also confiscated.  They are now in the care of the Belgian Authorities, but any cost is being borne by the defendants by order of the trial judge.

In May 2013 following a 2 years investigation by Gloucestershire Police and the NWCU a Gloucestershire man was convicted of fraud and trading in endangered species.  Black kites and documentation in that case was linked directly back to one of the defendants convicted in Belgium.  There was little doubt that those birds had been taken from the wild and an attempt had been made to legitimize using fraudulent permits.

The Head of the National Wildlife Crime Unit, Detective Inspector Nevin Hunter said, “The NWCU has worked with the Belgian Federal Police throughout this inquiry and we have first hand knowledge of the difficulties they have faced in this protracted investigation.  The investigating officers are to be commended for there total commitment in bringing this organized criminal gang to justice.  They claimed to be involved in conservation, but that was a total sham, this was all about personal greed and making profit from some of the most endangered birds of prey in the world”.