Posts by Laurel Neme
Returning from a Walrus Hunt
The skiff touched the rocky beach as the captain and his nephew hopped out. Water lapped at their feet as they steadied the boat so the others could get out. The buzz grew louder as four wheelers brought friends and family to the beach. When they arrived, some grasped the sides of the boat while…
Read MoreBear—The High Stakes of Bear Gall Bladder Trafficking: Homicide
In October 1991, New York Police Department Detective Tommy Dades stepped around the spatters and followed the crimson trail to the first bedroom. His eyes couldn’t help but be drawn to the body: a middle-aged Korean-American man, throat slashed, sprawled across one of the beds. A pillow covered the victim’s head, presumably to let his…
Read MoreBear Bile Trafficking Stopped in Los Angeles, California
On March 27, 2009 the press reported that a South Korean woman living in LA illegally imported nearly a kilogram of bear bile via mail into the United States for traditional Chinese medicine. One kilo of bear bile has a street value of about $40,000, and is worth more than a kilo of cocaine. This…
Read MoreNew Scientist reviews Animal Investigtors
NewScientist.com Review: Animal Investigators by Laurel A. Neme 25 March 2009 by Henry Nicholls Magazine issue 2701. ILLEGAL wildlife trafficking is worth an estimated $20 billion a year. That makes it the third most lucrative criminal activity, coming in just behind drug and human trafficking and, incredibly, ahead of arms smuggling. This is a stark…
Read MoreOperation Shellshock Breaks Up Reptile Smuggling Ring in New York
On March 19, 2009, New York’s state Department of Environmental Conservation announced one of its largest and most extensive undercover operation into illegal wildlife trafficking that resulted in the arrest of 18 individuals on 14 felonies and 11 misdemeanors for poaching, smuggling and illegally selling protected reptiles and amphibians. The two-year undercover investigation, called “Operation…
Read MoreBrazil Macaw Trafficking Ring Broken Up
Big news broke in mid-March about the largest wildlife trafficking bust in Brazil ever. Jorge Pontes, head of Interpol in Brazil, contacted me about the bust of a huge macaw smuggling ring. On Friday, March 13, 2009, Brazilian Federal Police and Interpol arrested 102 people in 9 states. Interpol issued red notices (wanted) for 6…
Read MoreAnini Beach in Kauai Inspires
Published: Saturday, 31 January 2009 19:45 Written by Laurel Neme What a change from Vermont! Just a day of traveling and I find myself swimming at Anini beach in Kauai with my sister while her kids play in the sand with my husband and son. Imagine my surprise when a green sea turtle pops his…
Read MoreLaurel Neme’s debut website
Published: Thursday, 22 January 2009 17:03 Written by Laurel Neme Welcome to my website. I’m enjoying expanding my digital horizons and learning how to blog, twitter and social network on line. It’s a whole new world that’s amazingly creative, democratic and immediate. I’m also having fun exploring wikimedia. Follow me on Twitter too @LaurelNeme
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