Police crack down on illegal online animal trade

A veiled chameleon was among 57 live animals seized when forest police officers in Honghe Hani and Yi autonomous prefecture, Southwest China's Yunnan province, raided an illegal animal trafficking operation. Police also found 12 dead animals and 21 items made out of animals. [Photo/China News Service]

Police have been investigating the case since receiving a report in September last year that the highly endangered red slender loris was being sold on Baidu Tieba, a popular online forum. Police said a man surnamed Gu was buying the wild animals online. He was arrested and many animals and animal products were allegedly recovered from his home.

Over the following months, police searched more locations arresting 20 people allegedly involved in the online trade. It is the biggest online wildlife trafficking case busted in the province in the past decade.