Four alleged members of an Irish crime gang and five other defendants went on trial in France on Monday, accused of trafficking rhino horn and ivory to markets in East Asia.
French prosecutors started an investigation in 2015 after police found elephant tusks and €32,800 ($38,900) in cash in a BMW during a random motorway traffic inspection.
Prosecutors in the town of Rennes say the occupants of the car, who claimed they were antique dealers, were members of the Rathkeale Rovers, an Irish crime gang.
The nine defendants, who include people of Chinese and Vietnamese origin, face up to 10 years in jail and heavy fines, although two of those charged are on the run.
"We're hoping for heavy sentences including fines to dissuade people from taking part in smuggling activities that encourage the cruelty of poaching," Charlotte Nithart, head of French anti-poaching charity Robin des Bois, told AFP.
Ms Nithart, who was in court as an observer, said the case files and the first day of hearings had underlined how Europe, and European auction houses, played a role in supplying East Asia with horns and tusks.
"What you can see in the intercepted telephone records is that the supply comes from lots of different towns in France and around Europe," she said. "The networks are well structured."
Many of the objects are old ornaments and antiques, but the seizure by police of tusks that are less than 20 years old suggest that parts from recently poached animals are also being traded.
As part of their investigation, French police found that tusks and rhino horns were being turned into powder, flakes and other objects on French soil before being exported to Vietnam and China.
Vietnamese defendant David Ta, 51, owner of an export company in the Paris region, denied illegally trafficking protected animals, despite the discovery of 14 tusks on a pallet at his home.
"I'm a collector. It's a passion," Mr Ta told the court.
Four suspected members of the Rathkeale Rovers – Tom Greene, Richard O'Riley, Edward Gammel and Daniel MacCarthy – are accused of supplying horns and tusks to exporters in France with links to China and Vietnam.
An exceptionally large horn weighing almost 15 kilograms, which was seized from the gang during the investigation, would have been worth about $15 million at Asian market prices at the time, Robin des Bois said.
The organised crime group from County Limerick in western Ireland "have many activities, but what is of interest to us is their speciality in trading rhino horns", Ms Nithart said.
They have been linked to thefts from museums and private collections.
There were suspicions that they had been involved in the 2017 killing of a white rhino in Thoiry zoo outside Paris. The animal's horn was hacked off in an overnight raid.
The group is also known to be behind a pan-European scam in selling counterfeit tarmac for resurfacing private driveways.
The Rathkeale Rovers were the focus of a joint investigation by European police in 2010, which led to 31 people being arrested, including for the theft of rhino horns, the Europol police agency's website says.
Two members were arrested in the US in 2010 after paying undercover investigators in Colorado about $17,000 for four black rhino horns.
Venom
Director: Ruben Fleischer
Cast: Tom Hardy, Michelle Williams, Riz Ahmed
Rating: 1.5/5
'Avengers: Infinity War'
Dir: The Russo Brothers
Starring: Chris Evans, Chris Pratt, Tom Holland, Robert Downey Junior, Scarlett Johansson, Elizabeth Olsen
Four stars
About Krews
Founder: Ahmed Al Qubaisi
Based: Abu Dhabi
Founded: January 2019
Number of employees: 10
Sector: Technology/Social media
Funding to date: Estimated $300,000 from Hub71 in-kind support
TV: World Cup Qualifier 2018 matches will be aired on on OSN Sports HD Cricket channel
Scores
Oman 109-3 in 18.4 overs (Aqib Ilyas 45 not out, Aamir Kaleem 27) beat UAE 108-9 in 20 overs (Usman 27, Mustafa 24, Fayyaz 3-16, Bilal 3-23)
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
EA Sports FC 26
Publisher: EA Sports
Consoles: PC, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox Series X/S
Rating: 3/5
How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
School counsellors on mental well-being
Schools counsellors in Abu Dhabi have put a number of provisions in place to help support pupils returning to the classroom next week.
Many children will resume in-person lessons for the first time in 10 months and parents previously raised concerns about the long-term effects of distance learning.
Schools leaders and counsellors said extra support will be offered to anyone that needs it. Additionally, heads of years will be on hand to offer advice or coping mechanisms to ease any concerns.
“Anxiety this time round has really spiralled, more so than from the first lockdown at the beginning of the pandemic,” said Priya Mitchell, counsellor at The British School Al Khubairat in Abu Dhabi.
“Some have got used to being at home don’t want to go back, while others are desperate to get back.
“We have seen an increase in depressive symptoms, especially with older pupils, and self-harm is starting younger.
“It is worrying and has taught us how important it is that we prioritise mental well-being.”
Ms Mitchell said she was liaising more with heads of year so they can support and offer advice to pupils if the demand is there.
The school will also carry out mental well-being checks so they can pick up on any behavioural patterns and put interventions in place to help pupils.
At Raha International School, the well-being team has provided parents with assessment surveys to see how they can support students at home to transition back to school.
“They have created a Well-being Resource Bank that parents have access to on information on various domains of mental health for students and families,” a team member said.
“Our pastoral team have been working with students to help ease the transition and reduce anxiety that [pupils] may experience after some have been nearly a year off campus.
"Special secondary tutorial classes have also focused on preparing students for their return; going over new guidelines, expectations and daily schedules.”
Porsche Macan T: The Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 265hp from 5,000-6,500rpm
Torque: 400Nm from 1,800-4,500rpm
Transmission: 7-speed dual-clutch auto
Speed: 0-100kph in 6.2sec
Top speed: 232kph
Fuel consumption: 10.7L/100km
On sale: May or June
Price: From Dh259,900
If you go
Flight connections to Ulaanbaatar are available through a variety of hubs, including Seoul and Beijing, with airlines including Mongolian Airlines and Korean Air. While some nationalities, such as Americans, don’t need a tourist visa for Mongolia, others, including UAE citizens, can obtain a visa on arrival, while others including UK citizens, need to obtain a visa in advance. Contact the Mongolian Embassy in the UAE for more information.
Nomadic Road offers expedition-style trips to Mongolia in January and August, and other destinations during most other months. Its nine-day August 2020 Mongolia trip will cost from $5,250 per person based on two sharing, including airport transfers, two nights’ hotel accommodation in Ulaanbaatar, vehicle rental, fuel, third party vehicle liability insurance, the services of a guide and support team, accommodation, food and entrance fees; nomadicroad.com
A fully guided three-day, two-night itinerary at Three Camel Lodge costs from $2,420 per person based on two sharing, including airport transfers, accommodation, meals and excursions including the Yol Valley and Flaming Cliffs. A return internal flight from Ulaanbaatar to Dalanzadgad costs $300 per person and the flight takes 90 minutes each way; threecamellodge.com
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
