WILDLEX

This matter is before the Court for the sentencing of the Defendant Tania J. Siyam. On March 21, 2008, Defendant plead guilty to two counts of violating the Lacey Act by virtue of importing and selling raw ivory and plead guilty to two counts smuggling goods into the United States.

Zhifei Li, 29, is from the Shandong Province, China. Since 2011, he has owned and managed an antique shop, Overseas Treasure Finding, located in Jinan City, Shandong, China. Li was involved in purchasing, selling and smuggling Asian art andantiques prior to opening his own business.

The first applicant had applied for a permit to hunt elephants. Elephants had been classified as damage causing animals in South Africa. The permit was issued approving the shooting of two elephants by a local hunter.

The applicant and her translator, Quinling Zhang, were arrested on 4 July 2005 for possessing 72 pieces of raw ivory without the requisite permits, dealing in raw ivory and attempted export of the same without the necessary export documents.

These appeals from convictions for conspiracy to import raw African elephant ivory in violation of the African Elephant Conservation Act ("AECA"), 16 U.S.C. § 4223(1), violations of the Endangered Species Act of 1973, 16 U.S.C. § 1538(c)(1), and the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, 16 U.S.C.

As a result of an earlier ruling, namely reversing the verdict of acquittal of the District Judge and recording a conviction against both respondents, it is now the task of the Court of Appeal ("the Court") to impose such sentence as is proper in the circumstances.

In December 2001, two Chinese businessmen planned to smuggle a large amount of ivory out of Africa by containers. They contacted defendants Li Wenjian and Liang Zhiqiang and asked them to arrange import declaration documents and to rent a warehouse in Guangdong Province.

On June 7, 2006, the defendant, Defendant Hussein Yahya Yahya Al-Asri, carrying large amounts of rare wildlife products into China, had violated the laws and regulations of the customs and seriously undermined the social order.

On June 9, 2006, at 8:00pm, the defendant Maged Tareq Mohammed Awn arrived at Guangzhou Baiyun Airport, declared nothing to customs before entering China. Guangdong customs officials intercepted 6 elephant tusks, hidden in his suitcase. The seized ivory tusks were estimated to be worth 1,500,000RMB, which weigh a total of 33.34kg.

On June 30, 2010, the defendant, Shi Xiuhong arrived at Guangzhou Baiyun Airport on a flight from Congo. Shi carried two pieces of blackwood and chose to go through the "Non-declare channel" to enter China (declared nothing to the customs).