He had offered for sale in Muravera statuettes, small Japanese sculptures, and various ivory artifacts , all without the necessary documentation certifying their legal provenance and possession, as required by national and international law. This conduct was in complete violation of relevant European and national regulations, and resulted in a sixty-year-old local woman being charged with "illegal possession for profit and sale of parts of protected species."

Material worth approximately €1,600 was also seized. If convicted, the woman faces a prison sentence of six months to two years and a fine of €15,000 to €50,000.

Trade in elephants, the species from which ivory is taken, is prohibited under the Washington Convention, an international agreement of 1973, as they are considered to be in danger of extinction.

The Carabinieri Forestali of the CITES Unit in Cagliari remind us that the illegal trade and trafficking of animals are among the main causes of biodiversity loss worldwide, with an estimated turnover of approximately 23 billion euros a year, making it the fourth largest illegal activity in the world, behind only arms, drug, and human trafficking.

(Unioneonline)

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