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Abergele man kept almost £7K of bird feathers at his home

Abergele man kept almost £7K of bird feathers at his home

Rhyl Journal6 days ago
David Pugh, 68, of Primrose Hill, St George, appeared before Llandudno Magistrates Court on August 6, where he admitted three offences under the Control of Trade in Endangered Species Regulations 2018 (COTES).
In January, Border Force officers at Birmingham Airport intercepted two parcels being delivered to an address in North Wales.
The packages contained 60 pieces of grey jungle fowl capes with no import permit.
The endangered birds are highly sought-after for their feathers used in fly fishing, and are protected under COTES.
Pugh was subsequently arrested, and during a search of his property, further capes were found, amounting to the value of almost £7,000.
The court ordered Pugh to pay costs and fines totalling £1,165, and a forfeiture and destruction order was also imposed in relation to the items.
Sergeant Peter Evans, of North Wales Police's rural crime team, said: 'COTES was set up to protect endangered species and ensures this type of criminality does not threaten the survival of vulnerable wildlife, or fuel global trafficking networks.
'We are determined to bring perpetrators like Pugh to justice, who exploit endangered species for their own financial gain.
'This investigation would not have been possible without the support from the National Wildlife Crime Unit, who played a vital part in Pugh's sentencing.'
Kevin Lacks-Kelly, head of the UK National Wildlife Crime Unit, said: 'Illegal wildlife trade is alive and kicking in the UK.
'This case is a clear example of how people will exploit protected species for financial gain.'
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