A 20-year-old Caroline Springs man has been charged with 104 offences for his alleged involvement in a cross-border illegal wildlife trade syndicate.
The charges include the unlawful taking of reptiles from the wild and possession of illegally sourced wildlife.
The man was charged following a major investigation by the Conservation Regulator, with assistance from Victoria Police and the federal Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment, and Water, all part of Operation Pike.
It is alleged the man received reptiles from interstate and stored them at his house, before the syndicate on-sold them to local and interstate buyers. It is also alleged that the man illegally took reptiles from the wild in Victoria.
The man faces 100 charges under the Wildlife Act 1975, including 70 charges of illegally possessing wildlife, 14 charges of possessing protected wildlife and 16 breaches of his wildlife licence conditions. He is also charged with four offences of failing to maintain entries of transactions in his record book as part of his licence conditions under the Wildlife Regulations 2013.
Authorised Officers searched the man’s house during a warrant in January this year and seized dozens of native reptiles that were allegedly sourced illegally, including shingleback lizards, eastern blue-tongued lizards, and knob-tailed geckos, and an incubator which contained Boyd’s forest dragon eggs.
Chief conservation regulator Kate Gavens said the illegal take and trade of wildlife is “completely unacceptable”.
“The Conservation Regulator is committed to tackling the illegal wildlife trade and will continue to work with other authorities to investigate and prosecute those responsible,” she said.
The man will face the Sunshine Magistrates’ Court on November 30.
Native animals, including reptiles, are protected in Victoria under the Wildlife Act 1975. It is a serious offence to possess wildlife that has been taken or acquired in contravention of that Act, carrying a maximum penalty of $46,154 and/or 24 months imprisonment per charge. Licence holders who fail to meet record-keeping conditions can also be fined up to $3,846 under the Wildlife Regulations 2013.
Anyone with information about illegal wildlife trade or other wildlife crime can make a confidential report to Crime Stoppers Victoria on 1800 333 000.
