Border patrol officials are seizing hundreds of endangered animals brought to Great Britain by unwitting travellers, including dangerous spiders, snakes and even stingrays.
Strict rules govern the types of creatures that are allowed to enter the country in a bid to tackle the global trafficking of threatened wildlife.
Despite this, new figures from the Home Office show how last year officials seized some 245 live animals on the CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) list.
Wildlife crime is worth up to £17 billion globally per year, and is the fourth-largest international crime according to Interpol, behind only arms, drugs and human trafficking.
And now experts are reminding travellers to know the rules on what they can and can’t bring back home, from live animals to food products and large sums of money.
Mario Van Poppel, CEO of leading currency exchange firm Manor FX, who obtained the figures, said: “Millions of people leave and enter the UK each day by air, sea and land, and Border Force plays a vital role in making sure anything brought in abides by the law.
“Our research shows a worrying increase in the number of endangered species being brought into the UK without permission.
“Whilst some of this activity will be by criminal smugglers, sometimes ordinary people don’t realise what they can and can’t bring back home with them and are unwittingly breaking the law.
“All live animals being brought into the UK will need the correct paperwork, such as a health certificate, travelling with them and for any animals on the CITES list, they will likely need a permit to be exported or imported.
“It’s important that strict policies are in place to prevent the illegal trafficking of endangered species.”
Passengers who fail to abide by customs regulations can face hefty fines and even prison sentences.
The penalty for not having a permit to carry an animal on the CITES list can be an unlimited fine, up to seven years in prison, or both.
Latest statistics show a sizeable increase in the amount of endangered animals seized in the past two years, from 91 in 2022 to 245 in 2023.
Last year, those detained included a number of exotic animals including 40 members of the tarantula spider species, four stingrays and nine African grey parrots.
Also seized were one ball python snake, which can be as large as six feet long, and a Nile monitor lizard, traditionally found in sub-saharan Africa.
A Home Office spokesperson said: “Wildlife crime is a serious organised crime which threatens species with extinction, fuels corruption, deprives some of the world’s poorest communities of sustainable livelihoods and degrades ecosystems.
“Border Force plays a leading global role in cracking down on the illegal wildlife trade by intercepting suspect packages and seizing unlicensed wildlife products.”
Meanwhile, passengers carrying cash equivalent to £10,000 or more when entering or leaving Great Britain must declare it to customs officials.
Mr Van Poppel added: “It’s important that people stick to the rules on carrying cash in and out of the country as this is one of the key weapons against international money laundering.
“And it’s not just the rules at the British border that you have to abide by, as some countries have strict rules with smaller amounts of money than the £10,000 permitted in this country.
“It’s always important to do your research while travelling in and out of the country to make sure you stay on the right side of the law.”
Manor FX is one of the leading foreign currency exchange experts with more than 30 years of experience.
