Økokrim took part in the action under the auspices of the EU, in cooperation with the Norwegian Food Safety Authority and the Norwegian Customs Office. The operation against pet smuggling uncovered several criminal networks and resulted in a total of 47 court cases.
Økokrim, Norwegian Office for Food Safety and The Norwegian Customs Office took part in the EU campaign against smuggling of pets across national borders. The EU-coordinated control action 'Enforcement actions on the illegal trade in cats and dogs' started in July last year and ended this summer. The aim of the action was to detect the illegal import of dogs and cats.
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Pet scams
Dog smuggling criminals also engage in various forms of fraud. The most common fraud is the falsification of documents used to transport pets, such as pet passports, vaccination records and health certificates.
- Norwegians like animals, willingness to pay is high and prices are often high. This makes Norway an attractive market for criminals to smuggle pets into. Økokrim encourages anyone considering getting a pet to be careful where you buy them, says Tuva Brørby, police chief and national coordinator for environmental crimes in Økokrim.
The EU estimates that European demand for dogs is 8 million dogs per year. Its value is estimated at EUR 1 billion.
- If you find yourself in a situation where you have purchased a pet that has been smuggled into the country, it is important to report the situation – emphasizes Brørby.
Criminal networks
The results of the European Commission's activities indicate a significant scale of organized smuggling of dogs and cats across national borders. 467 reports were submitted to the European iRASFF notification system, and 47 court cases were conducted after the action.
It turns out that the key smuggling routes lead from Romania, Hungary and Poland to Germany, from Serbia to Slovenia, from Russia and Belarus to Poland and Latvia. Animals are also smuggled by air from Turkey to the Netherlands and Austria.
During the operation, criminal networks were also uncovered. Over four years, these networks were behind the illegal import of a total of 27 dogs and cats from Russia and Belarus into the EU/EEA.
- Pet smuggling is a serious phenomenon and is often carried out by organized networks involving several people and large sums of money. Animals are often sold through intermediaries. Cross-border investigations can be extensive. Økokrim is satisfied that this action resulted in several exposures of criminal networks and a total of 47 court cases , says Brørby.
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Source: Økokrim
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