Person arrested for possessing fifty hunting trophies without documenting their legal possession

The Guardia Civil has arrested a person for crimes against flora and fauna by possessing fifty hunting trophies of dubious origin or without documentation that legitimises their possession, violating regional, national and European regulations on the protection of animals.

Full-skinned heads of lioness and brown bear, naturalised animals such as grouse, otter, jay, and genet; and heads and skulls of foxes, buffaloes, wolves or wildebeests are some of the hunting trophies that he kept in two buildings in the towns of Daroca and Manchones, in the province of Zaragoza.

Many of these animals are protected under the CITES international agreement on international trade in endangered species.

The Nature Protection Service of the Guardia Civil in Zaragoza began an investigation into the possible illegal possession of hunting trophies in a house in the town of Daroca. After judicial authorisation, the property was searched, finding inside a lioness head, a brown bear head and a wildebeest head, with full skin and in a naturalised state.

Continuing with this operation, named Luria, the agents arrived at another address, in Manchones, where they also found various pieces that lacked documentation proving the legality of their origin. Among others, a naturalised capercaillie, an otter, a jay and a genet, numerous heads and skulls of animals such as fox, buffalo, chamois, wolf or wildebeest, as well as tusk trophies, were found and seized. The documentation that the holder of the pieces and trophies was able to deliver to the agents was seized for study and verification.

Other trophies such as roe deer or goat skulls, some of them sealed, were photographed and noted for verification, remaining at the disposal of the courts. Some frozen pieces were also found inside a chest freezer. In addition, in the search of this last house, two gunsmiths were found for guarding and custody of long weapons.

In addition to the person arrested for crimes against flora and fauna, three more people have been investigated who allegedly obtained the hunting trophies and provided them to the person arrested for their possession.

The pieces belonging to native animals were delivered to the General Directorate of Climate Change and Environmental Education of the Government of Aragon. Those corresponding to allochthonous animals were made available to the Customs and Excise Administration of the State Tax Administration Agency.

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