site.btaBulgarian Customs Prevent Smuggling of Leopard Geckos, Corals, and Walrus Tusks

Customs officers have prevented the smuggling of exotic corals, live leopard geckos, various spider species and walrus tusks over the past two years, the Customs Agency told BTA on Sunday.

The most recent case occurred on October 28, when four coral rock specimens were seized at Sofia Airport after X-ray screening and a follow-up inspection of a passenger’s suitcase arriving from Malaysia via Amsterdam. The specimens have been detained pending species identification. The Environment and Water Ministry and its regional inspectorate have been notified.

At the Kapitan Andreevo border crossing on October 30, 2024, customs officers seized 100 live leopard geckos and 243 live spiders of various species. The animals are not listed under the Appendices of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES Convention). They were transferred for temporary care to the terrarium in the village of Mineralni Bani, Haskovo Region, where they continue to live well. One year after their rescue, about half have survived. The terrarium has been granted ownership and may redistribute the animals to other facilities in Bulgaria.

In another case, four walrus tusks were intercepted on March 21, 2024 at the Customs Office of the Bulgarian Postal Sorting Centre in a parcel from Ukraine. They had been declared as acrylic resin blocks. The walrus is listed in Annex B of Council Regulation (EC) No 338/97 on the protection of species of wild fauna and flora through trade regulation.

Over the years, the Customs Agency has made seizures involving turtles, parrots, pheasants, glass eels, as well as products made from protected animals – ivory, caviar-based cosmetics, skins and accessories, and taxidermied specimens. In recent years, customs officers have increasingly intercepted corals, products made of skins of protected species, souvenirs and other items lacking the required certificates. Such goods typically originate from tourists who find plants or animals in nature or purchase them abroad without being aware of EU import requirements.

Smuggling Routes of Endangered Wildlife

According to the Customs Agency, smuggling generally falls into two categories: trade in species for which full prohibition applies, and misdeclaration - when customs declarations list goods different from what is actually imported or exported.

There have been cases in which documents presented had false content, or species did not match the details in the import/export permit, or lacked certificates of origin. Veterinary or phytosanitary certificates, also required for animals and plants, frequently appear missing.

Customs officers participate annually in international operations targeting trafficking in endangered species, including Operations LAKE, THUNDER and COBRA. Checks are risk-based, including analysis of criteria such as sender, recipient, description of goods and transport routes.

Routes depend on where the species is bred and where demand and prices are higher. Reptiles and spiders, for example, are often bred in Central Europe and transported to markets offering higher prices.

Most wildlife seizures occur at airports, primarily Sofia Airport, either in passengers’ luggage or in cargo shipments, as well as at major land border crossings such as Kapitan Andreevo.

Penalties are imposed under customs legislation or the Biodiversity Act. When offences involve particularly large quantities or value, pre-trial proceedings are opened, often under Article 242 of the Criminal Code, which provides for three to ten years’ imprisonment and fines of BGN 20,000 to 100,000 for trafficking in protected species or their parts.

Risks Associated with Trafficking Living Animals and Plants

The Customs Agency warned that live animals and plants are often transported in highly inappropriate conditions - confined, sedated, or exposed to unsuitable temperatures. For passengers, especially travelling by land, significant delays may occur due to the lengthy inspection and seizure procedures.

From an environmental perspective, wildlife trafficking poses risks of population decline and extinction, or the introduction of non-native species that may disrupt local ecosystems.

Care for Seized Animals and Plants

Once seized, the Environment and Water Ministry (and its regional inspectorates) is notified to identify the species and assess the violation. Customs’ priority is ensuring the survival of trafficked animals. With the Ministry’s assistance, animals are transferred to appropriate rescue centres - zoos, botanical gardens, aquariums, or terrariums, depending on the species. Taxidermied specimens or plant products are provided to natural history museums. Bulgaria has, in previous cases, returned endangered species to the wild, including grey parrots, a giant eagle and European eels.

Additional Cases from Recent Years

In June 2015, customs officers seized a taxidermied lion being transported from Vienna to Iran without proper documents.

A major case on February 15, 2019, at Sofia Airport prevented the illegal export of the critically endangered European eel Anguilla anguilla. In a shipment declared as carp for restocking, 200,000 live baby eels were found in 90 styrofoam containers. With the support of Green Balkans, the eels were transferred to the Aquarium Rescue Centre in Varna. About 150,000 were raised to a suitable size and released into the Danube.

In early 2015, more than two million baby eels of the same species were seized at Sofia Airport in eight containers travelling as checked luggage from Madrid.

On September 15, 2022, inspectors seized six pheasants of three protected species intended for export to the UAE. The shipment lacked export permits or origin certificates. The birds were placed in Sofia Zoo.

Numerous seizures of African grey parrots (Psittacus erithacus) have been made over the years, including a major shipment of 39 parrots intercepted near Vidin in 2016. This species suffers high mortality during trafficking due to trauma and poor transport conditions.