5 Maltese Detained At Manas For Exporting Wildlife Specimens

Authorities at Manas International Airport detained five citizens of the Republic of Malta for attempting to illegally export wildlife specimens from the Kyrgyz Republic.

Photos of the cargo were shared to the Kyrgyz Ministry of Natural Resources, Ecology and Technical Supervision.

The arrests were made during a joint operation by the Department for Bioresources Control and the Department for Combating Smuggling and Customs Violations.

The operation was part of a coordinated effort between the Ministry of Natural Resources, Ecology, and Technical Supervision and the State Customs Service under the Ministry of Finance. Following the arrest, the suspects were handed over to the Environmental and Technical Supervision Service for further investigation.

Officials filed a total of eight administrative protocols against the individuals: five under Article 262 of the Kyrgyz Code of Offenses for the illegal export, transport, storage, and sale of wildlife specimens, and three under Article 261, Part 2, for illegal hunting or capture.

The violators were fined a total of 180,000 Kyrgyzstani soms (approximately €1,890). Additionally, a separate claim of 270,000 soms was filed for environmental damages caused to local wildlife.

All case materials have been transferred to law enforcement agencies, and investigations are ongoing.

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