Re: VFT Smuggler

Paul Seymour (paulseym@ozemail.com.au)
Fri, 01 Mar 1996 09:40:57 +1000

>I found interesting is what the accused is actually in trouble for, which
>is smuggling. It doesn't matter what he was smuggling, just that that's
>what he was doing. The status of VFTs in the market, in the wild, or in
>CITES is irrelevant. To me it says something very unsavory about that
>individual that he was willing to smuggle so many plants--clearly he
>intended to market them.

Smuggling VFT's? Electrical goods, drugs, diamonds etc maybe, but plants? I
mean, the guy has to pot them up, find sufficient room to grow them for
a season or two (if he intends to realise their full value). Then find
someone to sell them.

What has he avoided to be called a smuggler, some government fee perhaps,
import duty, export duty, customs duty? To my mind if the plants were not
stolen, then he has full moral right to market them. He is not taking
"wealth" out a country, or undermining a local industry, which are the kind
of concerns normally addressed by anti-smuggling laws. What we are really
talking about with smuggling is TAX avoidance, and arguably an unfair one at
that.

Regards,

Paul.