Investigative bodies of the Investigative Committee of Russia in Kamchatka Krai initiated a criminal investigation against three denizens of the regional capital. They are suspected of committing a crime under Part 3 of Article 258.1 of the Criminal Code of Russia (illegal capturing, housing, transportation and possession of highly valuable wild animals belonging to a species put in the Red Book of the Russian Federation – gyrfalcons).
According to the investigators, from October to the 20th of December, 2019, that is until the birds were discovered and seized by law enforcement officers, an organised group of three people illegally obtained and housed 10 specimen of wild birds of the order Falconidae – gyrfalcons in a garage situated in a housing estate territory in t5he town of Yelizovo, and later transported them to the motor ship Radik Bashirov, moored at Signalny cape at the territory of OJSK commercial sea port of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, in order to further deliver the birds to port Vanino in Khabarovsk Krai.
Criminal activities of the organised group led to damage of 11 million rubles to the Russian Federation.
After seizing and examination the birds were transferred to an expert ornithologist to assess their condition and decide whether they can be put into a natural environment. One Gyrfalcon died as a result of illegal extraction from a natural environment.
During the operating procedures and apprehension of accomplices various equipment for housing and possessing captured birds in captivity, as well as for feeding and transportation of birds was seized in the facilities used by the perpetrators.
At this point urgent investigative actions are conducted with the detained people, the restrictive measures for them are under consideration.
The crime was discovered and the probe is conducted with operating support from the officers of the Federal Security Service Directorate in Kamchatka Krai and Kamchatka Krai Regional Office of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia.
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