Illicit trade in native wildlife - witnesses Ando, Plant, Dawson, Green

t6/kr
CCC
MR HALL: - - - on occasion conduct joint investigations with
CALM?---We do, yes.
And I assume that relates to matters involving wildlife?---
That's correct, yes.
Does Customs have some responsibility in respect to
investigating illegal importations and exportations of flora
and fauna?---Yes. We are designated inspectors under the
Environmental Protection Biodiversity Conservation Act and we
operate with an MOU with the Department of Environment &
Heritage which administers that Act and we conduct
investigations on their behalf and monitor and police the
border in relation to that Act.
Can you give some idea of how many joint wildlife
investigations you've been involved in?---Approximately about
27.
And can you assess the success of joint wildlife
investigations with CALM?---On the whole, very successful.
Have you ever had cause to suspect that information from joint
wildlife investigations have been compromised?---I have, yes.
Are you able to give us some examples of such compromises
occurring?---I can. In August 2000 I was - - I'd received
information from CALM in relation to a - - a person who had
some macaws on his National Exotic Bird Register, which was a
requirement under an old scheme which the predecessor for DEH
used to run, which was the Department of Environment which was
an exotic register for imported birds and progeny. And the
information was that this person was falsifying his birds had
died and he was keeping - - he hadn't notified CALM, which was
administrating that on behalf of DEH, that the birds had died
and he was offering the places on his register for payment
which was an offence under the old Wildlife Protection Act
which was the Act which was in force prior to the EPBC Act
which carried a two-year sentence. After liaising with
Department of Environment in - - sorry, Environment Australia
which was the predecessor, the previous name of Environment &
Heritage in Canberra and in relation to obtaining warrants on
that person we planned to actually execute warrants - - I
swore - - I drafted warrants and planned to conduct a full
investigation into the matter, but four days prior to the
actual execution of those warrants, the suspect attended CALM
offices and volunteered the information that his birds had
died and he wished to amend his register.
Now, do you have another example of such a compromise?---Yes.
In October 2002, I was conducting an investigation into - -
23.11.04 M.R. PLANT XN 135
10.27