Officers seized the eggs along with some 300 dead birds, some of which were stuffed and some frozen from a man resident in Österbotten in central Finland.
Police believe that crimes have been committed over a number of years and across several countries in the Nordic region.
"We suspect that this has occurred in Sweden too," said Lars Lundman at Norrbotten police in northern Sweden to the TT news agency.
Most of the eggs seized were from endangered species and many would be expected to net substantial sums from rare egg collectors.
The arrest came as a result of Finnish police having received a tip from their Swedish counterparts, according to information from the Swedish Ornithological Society (Svensk Ornitologiska Förening - SOF).
The society referred to ongoing police investigations in Sweden concerning three suspects.
A Swedish prosecutor specialized in environmental law was present at the press conference in Finland and while Finnish police were unwilling to comment further on the Swedish angle, it has been widely reported.
The Swedish police investigations are reported to concern serious hunting violations and involve three suspected egg thieves operating in different parts of the country.
One of the three is also suspected of illegally purchasing, selling or exchanging eggs.
The suspected offences carry a range of penalties extending to prison sentences.
As a result of the spate of egg thefts, the counties of Västerbotten and Jämtland have decided to impose a temporary nature reserve in Stekenjokk mountains in northern Sweden.
The public have been excluded from the area for the month of June, the breeding season for the birds. The ban is being imposed with the help of the police.
http://www.thelocal.se/41334/20120609/
Showing posts with label egg thieves. Show all posts
Showing posts with label egg thieves. Show all posts
Friday, 15 June 2012
Sunday, 15 April 2012
Keep and eagle eye out for thieves
RESIDENTS are being urged to keep their eagle eyes out for egg thieves this Spring.
Wildlife bosses have launched an operation cracking down on the theft of rare bird eggs across the local authority areas.
And as part of Operation Easter, the Partnership for Action Against Wildlife Crime (PAW) Scotland is appealing for help in combating the attacks on nesting birds.
The wildlife experts fear egg thieves will be out and about attempting to rustle nests, and disturb birds during the vital breeding season which takes place in the spring and summer months.
The campaign which was started in Scotland 15 years' ago by Tayside Constabulary has since spread across the country with police forces, including Strathclyde Police, joining forces with the National Wildlife Crime Unit and the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds.
Ian Thomson, head of investigations at RSPB Scotland said: "Operation Easter has had tremendous success, over several years, in both detecting and deterring the activities of egg collectors in Scotland and further afield.
"However, we cannot afford to be complacent, and this out-dated pastime continues to pose a threat to some of our rarest species such as the Slavonian grebe and golden eagle."
With the increased use of CCTV cameras and tighter legislation acting as a deterrent, Charles Everitt, Scottish Investigative Support Officer at the UK National Wildlife Crime Unit (NWCU) also stressed that now was no time to become complacent.
He said: "We can't afford to relax at this stage. Over Easter and in the coming weeks Scotland's Wildlife Crime officers will be out in force, targeting anyone stealing from Scotland's wild bird nests."
Environment Minister and chairman of PAW Scotland Stewart Stevenson added: "While our member organisations are making significant headway tackling egg thieves, they can't do it alone and we depend on everyone who's out and about in the countryside to be vigilant and report suspicious activity to the police."
Anyone who witnesses or is concerned about egg theft in the Renfrewshire and East Renfrewshire areas should contact the local police station or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
Thursday, 15 March 2012
Wildlife criminals on camera
Police are launching a major operation in Devon to catch bird of prey poisoners and egg thieves.
The RSPB has welcomed a major operation by Devon and Cornwall Police to tackle wild bird crime in Devon. Spearheaded by county Police Wildlife Crime Officer Josh Marshall, Operation Wilderness will use covert cameras to collect evidence on the illegal disturbance of some of the county's rarest and most vulnerable birds.
The operation is a response to last year’s shocking series of crimes against birds of prey in the county. In separate incidents, four Goshawks, a Common Buzzard and a Peregrine Falcon were all found poisoned.
Tony Whitehead of RSPB South-West said: “Crimes against wild birds continue to be a problem in Devon and Cornwall. In a survey recently, the area was identified as the fifth worst in England. We remain particularly concerned about the spate of bird of prey poisonings last year and the persistent threat from a small but obsessive community of egg collectors. There is also growing concern about a small number of reckless and irresponsible wildlife photographers who disturb sensitive species.”
The cameras were kindly donated by The Devon Bird Watching and Preservation Society. The intention is to place them at the nest sites of previously targeted species in Devon, and those of species that are considered vulnerable to persecution or disturbance.
Experienced volunteers with appropriate licences will locate the hard-to-find nest sites and place the cameras in situ. Each camera will be left in place for the duration of the bird's nesting attempt, and each will be placed discretely so that the birds are not disturbed. Hopefully, the cameras will be able to collect sufficient evidence to assist with prosecutions.
Tony Whitehead added: “This is a great initiative by the police, and we hope that the knowledge that key species are being watched in the places they nest will deter criminals. Make no mistake: killing or disturbing threatened species is a crime. If convicted, such crimes will result in either a fine and/or a prison sentence.
“We also hope it will remind people to remain vigilant and report anything they think is suspicious to the police.”
If anyone has information regarding bird crime they can call the Police on 101 and then the RSPB on 0845 466 3636. All information is handled in the strictest confidence.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
