Experts review seized wildlife in Grand Cayman -  Smugglers arrested!

On Friday 2nd March, after spending almost a month in prison awaiting trial, wildlife smugglers Joachim Schmidt, Jurgen Geisler and Harald Endig were deported from the Cayman Islands after Schmidt was fined. Schmidt pleaded guilty to offences under the Animals Law, and to issuing a false document. Other charges filed against all three but not pleaded to included smuggling offences, marine conservation offences, immigration offences and violation of the CITES enabling legislation for the Cayman Islands.

It was tight coordination between the Trust, the Department of Environment, the Department of Agriculture, Customs, Immigration, Civil Aviation, Royal Cayman Islands Police and the private security firm Intelsec, which led to the arrest and conviction of the three men. The story sends a strong message to any would-be wildlife smugglers who may be eyeing the Cayman Islands.

German nationals Joachim Schmidt, Harald Endig and Jürgen Geisler (above photo) were detained by Customs officials after checking in at Grand Cayman's international airport on 30th January. They were attempting to depart for Berlin via Miami with luggage packed with live reptiles, plants and other wildlife from the Bahamas and Grand Cayman. Schmidt presented a local export permit to an official which was apparently forged.
 
The three came under suspicion when the National Trust for the Cayman Islands was alerted of Schmidt's presence on the island, by a local resident who remembered concern over collecting by the same individual in the mid 1990's. After inquiries and further reports the Trust learned that the three men were posing as academic researchers while collecting live reptiles in considerable numbers, but had made no recent contact with local officials and had not been issued with export permits.
 
As the Trust, the Departments of Environment and Agriculture, and local enforcement agencies began to assess the situation, a local security firm, Intelsec, agreed to donate services and placed the men under continuous surveillance. Evidence rapidly mounted that this was an illegal animal smuggling operation. This assessment was reinforced by information provided to the Trust by Traffic International on Schmidt's record of international trading in endangered species.
 
In a closely coordinated operation involving Intelsec, the Trust, Department of Agriculture, Customs, Immigration, Department of Environment, and Civil Aviation, all possible routes for illegal export were monitored and the men were followed until they checked in at the airport. Bags seized by Customs after they were checked in for international transfer contained 930 endemic Grand Cayman anole lizards, 140 Curly-tailed lizards from the Bahamas, and 112 Curly-tailed lizards from Grand Cayman. In smaller numbers there were other reptiles and amphibians, marine life, terrestrial invertebrates, and a collection of bromeliads, cacti and ferns. CITES restricted material included 4 endemic Ground Boas, and 13 endemic Banana Orchids, all from Grand Cayman.
 
Communication with the Bahamas Government revealed that no export permit had been issued for the reptiles collected in the Bahamas, nor had any corresponding import permit for these animals been issued in Grand Cayman.
 
On 2nd February in Summary Court, Schmidt, Endig and Geisler were remanded in police custody on a series of smuggling charges. The three were returned to court on 7th February, when Schmidt was also charged with forgery. Several charges under environmental legislation may soon be added. A trial date is expected to be set shortly.
 
Once photographed by police as legal evidence, the wildlife was identified and documented by the Trust working with the Departments of Environment, and Agriculture. Zoology professor Sandy Echternacht from the University of Tennessee was flown down by the Cayman Islands government to assist in identification of the reptiles from the Bahamas. By the evening of 3rd February, all the Grand Cayman wildlife has been released back to the wild.

Full list of seized wildlife

Thanks to Courtney Platt for the photographs.

Grand Cayman Anole lizard and a packaged fresh water turtle.

Endemic Caymanian Anole lizards packed to go!

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