agents National Policejoint operation with Customs Inspection Tax Administration, three people were arrested two men and a woman, as suspects of crimes smuggling and against flora and fauna.
It was claimed that these people were responsible for the incident. Illegal entry of protected species into Spain and its remains, which were later sold for use in Santeria rituals.
The investigation began in 2021 when National Police officers learned that animals and remains of a protected species were being sold for use in Santeria rituals at two facilities on the island of Tenerife, one in Arona and the other in La Laguna. Notifies the National Police in a note.
The Customs Surveillance Operations Unit of the Tenerife Tax Office conducted a detailed analysis of the postal packages to determine the way the animals entered the island.
After these researches; It was concluded that most of these animals were put in the luggage of various passengers under the passenger regime and tried to escape the existing package controls.
Their offerings included bats, birds of Cuban origin, heads of dogs, wolves, monkeys, cobras or crocodiles, as well as ivory, tiger teeth, gorilla teeth or African frogs.
During the inspections carried out at the workplaces, the Police Department intervened in the remains of live domestic animals for ritual practices and different protected animals such as hippopotamus, lion, hyena, crocodile, chameleon or seahorse.
Thus, after a technical analysis, it was confirmed that they were included in the ‘CITES’ catalog, which confirmed the researchers’ hypotheses and the presumed authorship of the crimes by the institution responsible.
So, in a device attended by General Information Commission agents and Customs Surveillance officials from the Tax Office, investigators arrested three people for alleged perpetrators of smuggling and wildlife and vegetation crimes in Tenerife.