WILDLEX

The appellant pleaded guilty to being knowingly concerned in the fraudulent evasion of the restriction on the importation of wild birds. The appellant was concerned in smuggling 23 wildbirds from Thailand.

The appellant was convicted of 22 offences of unlawfully importing or dealing with animals and birds of endangered species. The appellant was concerned in importing 23 birds of prey in two suit cases.

On 28 November 2000 a consignment arrived at Heathrow from the Cameroons on a Swissair flight via Zurich. The consignor was Mrs Monie and the consignee and importer the appellant. The consignment contained for the most part frozen cassava leaves and indeed that was how the accompanying documents described it.