> I remember we had a slight 'discssions' about the Dutch gentleman who
> allegedly took VFT's from the wild and allegedly got caught. Is there
> any new information on this case. Or was it a hoax like many other
> cases of the kind???
As the one who brought the case to the attention of this list, I feel a
certain obligation to reply. Dr. Lieberman of the US Fish and Wildlife
Service presented the facts of the arrest to the CITES-L list and I
believe to this one. Basically, the Dutch gentleman was caught attempting
to export several thousand VFT's and some Sarracenia without the proper
CITES export permits, and investigation of the soil that remained on the
plants revealed that all of the plants had been collected from wild
populations. The man was given the opportunity at the airport to declare
the plants and to apply for the permits, but he declined and was finally
arrested for attempted smuggling in violation of CITES and of the laws of
North Carolina, a violation of the Lacey Act, I believe. The last I heard
prosecution is pending.
Sean Barry