DAILY YOMIURI (Tokyo, Japan) 27 September 08 Snake imports slither around laws

A pet shop owner who was arrested Friday for allegedly selling poisonous snakes told police he had imported them from Egypt, Kenya and the United States through official customs channels, it has been learned.

The suspect, Naoki Bando, runs the Kuroi Mori (black forest) pet shop in Chofu, Tokyo, and is said to have sold the snakes to a dock worker, 41, who was arrested Aug. 27 for keeping 51 poisonous snakes at his apartment in Shibuya Ward, Tokyo, without permission.

As the import and sale of many species of poisonous snakes is not regulated, a senior officer at the Metropolitan Police Department said it is likely people will continue to secretly keep poisonous snakes until there is a change in the rules.

The senior MPD official said Bando, 37, had opened the pet shop in 2004 and dealt exclusively with animals such as poisonous snakes, spiders and scorpions, catering to enthusiasts. The shop is believed to have sold about 100 million yen worth of animals so far.

Bando reportedly ordered poisonous snakes from a broker overseas via the Internet and imported them by air or sea.

According to the Environment Ministry, poisonous snakes such as cobras are included under the animal protection law, and prefectural governments' permission is required to keep them.

However, the law regulates animal rearing and does not include articles for regulating import and distribution. Bando was arrested on suspicion of keeping poisonous snakes in the shop without authorization.

The species conservation law that protects endangered species, and the law protecting the ecosystem from alien organisms, prohibit or regulate import and distribution depending on the species.

However, of about 700 species of poisonous snakes, only seven species, including Taiwanese habu, are covered under the law, making it difficult to determine how many are now being kept in Japan.

According to Tokyo Customs, it is impossible to seize poisonous snakes at the border as they do not violate current laws. A ministry official said it had received a number of inquiries about the possibility of regulating the import of poisonous snakes and other creatures following the incident.

Bando reportedly told the police that he had sold more than 100 poisonous snakes, including the 51 snakes found at the dock worker's apartment, to enthusiasts around the country through the shop or a delivery service.
Snake imports slither around laws

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• JPN Press: Snake imports slither around - W von Papineäu, Thu Oct 9 21:38:24 2008