vlad.tribnet.com / Issue #612 / Crime watch / Reading article...

On March 31, Primorye’s regional court will begin hearings in the case concerning a Russian-Chinese criminal group which attempted to smuggle the skin and bones of an Amur tiger and an assortment of bear claws, prosecutors said.

Three Russians and three Chinese men were detained at the Russian-Chinese border at Khanka Lake in August 2007 while attempting to transport the collection of tiger parts and 480 frozen bear paws to China by boat. According to the investigators, all six members were acting as an organized group.

Among the group members was a Russian border guard who disabled the alarm systems for several kilometers along the border at Khanka Lake allowing smugglers to arrive into the Russian territory.

The Chinese members have been placed under arrest while the Russians have given a pledge not to leave their town of residence during the investigation.

All six men are charged with contraband committed by an organized group of people and illegal trespassing of the state border.