Spain
1,500 Goldfinches Found Crammed into 30 Boxes and Hidden in a Car Bound for Algeria
Spain’s Civil Guard intercepted approximately 1,500 European goldfinches (Carduelis carduelis) concealed in 30 small boxes inside a vehicle at the Port of Alicante. The birds were allegedly being transported to Oran, Algeria, and were found without identification rings, legal documentation, food, or water during a journey expected to last at least eight hours. Authorities reported that 1,320 birds were released into the wild, while 90 were injured and another 90 died. A 57-year-old man was arrested and is being investigated for alleged smuggling, offenses against protected wildlife, animal mistreatment, and resisting or disobeying authorities. He was later released with charges pending, while the investigation remains ongoing.
Read morePolice in Orihuela Intercept 400 Goldfinches Being Transported by Car to France for Illegal Sale
Spanish National Police arrested two men in Orihuela, Alicante, after intercepting a vehicle carrying approximately 400 European goldfinches (Carduelis carduelis) allegedly destined for illegal sale in France. The birds had reportedly been captured in Lorca, Murcia, and were being transported in 12 large cages in severely overcrowded conditions. Authorities found 39 dead birds among the shipment. The birds were transferred to the Santa Faz Wildlife Recovery Center in Alicante for care. Authorities also seized €1,765 in cash from one of the suspects, which investigators believe may have been connected to the illegal sale of wild birds. The two men are being investigated for an alleged offense against protected flora and fauna and are expected to appear before a court in Orihuela.
Read moreGuardia Civil Seizes African Wildlife Parts From Vehicle
Spain’s Civil Guard seized numerous protected wildlife specimens and animal parts from a van in Cádiz province after officers stopped to assist the vehicle on the A-381 highway. The driver’s nervous behavior prompted officers to inspect the vehicle, where they discovered the items. The seizure included four giraffe bones, untanned skins from African warthogs, springboks, and oryx, a carved wooden giraffe, and approximately 150 kilograms of antlers from deer, fallow deer, and roe deer. The driver was unable to provide documentation establishing the legal ownership, origin, or traceability of the specimens. Authorities are investigating the case as a possible offense involving the illegal trade in CITES-protected wildlife and the potential receipt or theft of some of the animal parts.
Read moreGuardia Civil Seizes 15 Dead Pangolins at Madrid-Barajas
Spanish authorities seized 15 dead pangolins concealed inside a suitcase at Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas Airport. The animals were discovered during an inspection of luggage arriving from Equatorial Guinea, where officers found the pangolins hidden inside individual bags within the suitcase. Authorities are investigating the circumstances surrounding their transport and the possible illegal trafficking of the protected animals.
Read moreItaly
102 Tortoises Seized in Trecastagni
Italian authorities seized 102 Hermann’s tortoises (Testudo hermanni) from the garden of a home in Trecastagni, Sicily, on September 23, 2026. Carabinieri CITES officers and veterinary personnel from the Catania health authority found the tortoises being kept without the required documentation or CITES certificates. Authorities reported that at least the adult tortoises had been taken from the wild and may have subsequently reproduced in captivity. The tortoises were seized and transferred to Catania’s wildlife management authority for care. The homeowner was reported to prosecutors for alleged receiving of stolen property, as Italian law considers wildlife to be state property. During the inspection, authorities also discovered an unauthorized connection to the electrical grid, resulting in an additional allegation of aggravated electricity theft.
Read moreMan Reported for Crocodile Head in Suitcase in Turin Caselle
Italian authorities seized a dried crocodile head from a passenger’s luggage at Turin Caselle Airport on September 8, 2026. The passenger, who had arrived from Miami via Istanbul, had concealed the head wrapped in paper inside his luggage. Authorities identified the specimen as belonging to the Crocodylia spp. group, which is protected under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). The passenger was reported to authorities for allegedly importing a protected wildlife specimen without the documentation required for legal CITES importation. The crocodile head was seized by customs officials and Italy’s financial police.
Read moreNetherlands
Customs Finds Poison Dart Frogs and Feather Headdresses at Schiphol
Dutch customs officials at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport discovered six poison dart frogs that had been abandoned in a departure-hall restroom in late April or early May 2026. The frogs were found alongside plastic containers containing moss, and authorities suspect they had been purchased in the Netherlands for illegal transport abroad. The animals were transferred to the Dutch Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA) for specialized care. In a separate seizure, customs officials stopped two passengers traveling from Brazil to Sweden and found two feather headdresses and loose feathers made from protected parrot and harpy eagle species. The passengers reportedly said the items had been given to them as gifts but could not provide the required CITES permits. The items were confiscated and a report was filed.
Read morePoland
KAS Officers Detained Protected Specimens at the Airport in Bydgoszcz
Polish customs officers seized 69 coral fragments from the luggage of a passenger arriving at Bydgoszcz Airport from Marsa Alam, Egypt, on June 30, 2026. An expert examination determined that 17 of the fragments were protected reef-building corals. The passenger reportedly said he had collected the corals from a beach in Egypt and intended to bring them home as souvenirs. The corals belong to species listed under Annex B of the European Union’s wildlife trade regulations and require CITES permits and other documentation for legal import. Because the passenger had no required permits, authorities seized the specimens and are treating the importation as a potential offense under Poland’s nature protection law, which carries a possible prison sentence of three months to five years.
Read moreProtected Coral Specimens Seized by the National Revenue Administration at the Wrocław Airport
Polish customs officers seized fragments of coral reef from a passenger’s luggage at Wrocław Airport after the traveler arrived from Madagascar. During an inspection, officers discovered fragments of organ pipe coral (Tubipora musica), a species protected under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). The passenger had not declared the coral and could not provide the permits or certificates required for its import into the European Union. Authorities seized the specimens and are treating the undeclared import as a criminal offense. Under Polish law, violations involving CITES specimens can result in confiscation, fines, and imprisonment of three months to five years.
Read moreCzech Republic
Prague Customs Intercepts Crocodile-skin Handbag Sent from China
Czech customs officers seized a crocodile leather handbag from a shipment arriving from China after inspectors determined that it was made from a CITES-protected species. The shipment was intercepted at the Štěrboholy international post office in Prague, and the Czech Environmental Inspection confirmed the violation. The handbag was transferred to environmental inspectors, who will conduct administrative proceedings against the recipient. The case highlights the restrictions on international trade in products made from protected wildlife species and the documentation required for their legal import.
Read moreHungary
Authorities Intercept Golden-headed Lion Tamarin at Rédics
Hungarian customs officials seized a young golden-headed lion tamarin at the Rédics border crossing after finding the endangered primate in a cramped cage inside a passenger minibus. The 42-year-old Romanian driver reportedly told authorities that he had received the monkey from a friend in Moldova and was transporting it to Italy as a gift for his daughter. He was unable to provide the required health certificate or permit for keeping the animal. Wildlife experts confirmed that the tamarin is an internationally protected endangered species. Police initiated proceedings for suspected environmental damage, while the monkey was transferred to the Budapest Zoo and Botanical Garden for care. The case highlights the risks associated with transporting endangered wildlife without proper authorization and under inadequate conditions.
Read moreRomania
Border Police Find Four Undocumented Primates at Moravița
Romanian border police and customs officers seized four monkeys from a vehicle at the Moravița Border Crossing after three Ukrainian women arrived in Romania in a car registered in Ukraine. The animals were found confined in two boxes in the vehicle’s trunk and reportedly belonged to the 47-year-old driver, who claimed she had inherited them from her late mother. The woman was unable to provide documentation establishing the monkeys’ legal origin, ownership, or transport. She presented authorities with only a photograph of a document that she claimed showed the animals had been imported from Syria to Ukraine. The four monkeys were transferred to Romania’s Timiș Sanitary, Veterinary and Food Safety Directorate while authorities continue investigating the circumstances and potential legal violations.
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