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            Importation
											    and sale of endangered wild animals 
                                
              ALIVE News 2000 
              Details
                                                          of Case of Umeda Wan
                    Wan Land  
              
                
                
                  - 24
                                                    May 1999: Sonezaki Police Station in Osaka arrested Yoshiharu Kaito (37), owner of Umeda
                                                    Wan Wan Land, and Masato
                                                    Kashiwao (32), manager, on
                                                    the suspicion of violating
                                                    prefectural regulation on
                                                    care and management of potentially
                                                    dangerous animals and Law
                                                    for the Conservation of Endangered
                                                    Species of Wild Fauna and
                                                    Flora (Law for Conservation
                                                    of Species). Confiscated
                                                    animals included pumas, servals,
                                                    and caimans. A siamang gibbon
                                                    (listed under Appendix I
                                                    of CITES) was also found
                                                    and confiscated on 26 May.
                  
 - 1 June 1999: Four baby orangutans (2 male, 2 female; all aged between 1 and 2) were found
                                                  in the residence of a former
                                                  employee of the pet shop during
                                                  the search of the place and
                                                  were confiscated and taken
                                                  to Oji Zoo in Kobe.
                  
 - 14 June 1999: Yoshiharu Kaito and Masato Kashiwao were arrested on suspicion of violating Law
                                                  on the Conservation of Species
                                                  for purchasing four orangutans
                                                  for the sum of 2 million yen
                                                  in December, 1998 and April,
                                                  1999.
                  
 - 18 June 1999 Okayama Nishi Police Station arrested Minenobu Katayama (33), a trader, who
                                                  lives in Miki City, Hyogo Prefecture,
                                                  on suspicion of violating prefectral
                                                  regulation on care and management
                                                  of potentially dangerous animals.
                                                  He kept a serval, importation
                                                  of which needs to be reported
                                                  to the competent authority,
                                                  and took it to his acquaintance's
                                                  residence in Okayama City without
                                                  obtaining a permit from Okayama
                                                  Prefecture. Katayama also imported
                                                  several other serval and sold
                                                  them to acquaintances as well
                                                  as to Umeda Wan Wan Land.
                  
 - 28 June 1999: Okayama Prefecture Police Headquarters arrested Katsuhiko Miura (50), a veterinarian
                                                  who runs a veterinary clinic
                                                  in Amagasaki City, Hyogo Prefecture,
                                                  on suspicion of violating prefectural
                                                  regulation on protection and
                                                  management of animals. Miura
                                                  purchased two serval from Katayama,
                                                  the trader who was arrested
                                                  on 18 June.
                  
 - 29 June 1999: Indonesian consulate general in Osaka made official requests to Osaka Public
                                                  District Prosecutor's Office
                                                  for a thorough investigation
                                                  and to the Japanese government
                                                  for the return of the confiscated
                                                  orangutans. Indonesian embassy
                                                  also requested the return of
                                                  the orangutans.
                  
 - 4 July 1999: Warrant of arrest was issued for Kenichiro Fukuura (44), a Japanese broker who
                                                  lives in Indonesia, on suspicion
                                                  of violating Law for Conservation
                                                  of Species and Foreign Exchange
                                                  Act; arrangements were made
                                                  for his international search
                                                  Fukuura turned himself in on
                                                  6 July and was arrested. The
                                                  carrier of the animals also
                                                  turned himself in and was arrested.
                  
 - 5 July 1999: Owner and manager of Umeda Wan Wan Land were prosecuted for violation of Law
                                                  on the Conservation of Species.
                  
 - 20 July 1999: Osaka Police Headquarters arrested Mitsuhiro Ozawa (67), an importing trader,
                                                  on suspicion of violating Foreign
                                                  Exchange Act (importation without
                                                  permit). Ozawa took owner and
                                                  manager of the pet shop to
                                                  the animal market in Jakarta
                                                  and introduced them to local
                                                  illegal wildlife traders for
                                                  the purchase of orangutans
                                                  and siamang gibbons.
                  
 - 21 July 1999: The first trial on owner and manager of the pet shop; both pleaded guilty as
                                                  charged.
                  
 - 3 August 1999: A wow-wow gibbon (listed under appendix I of CITES) was found and confiscated
                                                  and taken to Oji Zoo.
                  
 - 30 August 1999: The accused resigned the ownership of orangutans and other confiscated animals
                                                  and ownership of those animals
                                                  was transferred to Ministry
                                                  of International Trade and
                                                  Industry.
                  
 - 14 September 1999: Trial was held on owner and manager of the pet shop, broker and two others at
                                                  Osaka District Court.
                  
 - 25 November 1999: Decision of the court was given to Fukuura (broker) and the carrier, and both
                                                  were sentenced to actual serving
                                                  time in jail without probation.
                
  
                List
                                              of primates confiscated from Umeda
                Wan Wan Land 4 orangutans, 1 siamang gibbon, 1 wow-wow gibbon (all CITES App. I), 3 talapoin
                                              monkeys, 1 greater white-nosed
                                              guenon, 2 patas monkeys (all CITES
                                              App. II)
                 Also were found, 3 siamang gibbons, 2 orangutans, 1 hoolock gibbon, and 1 Bengal
                                                wildcat that died before being
                                                confiscated. Some of the confiscated
                                                animals were returned to the
                                                owner of the pet shop later and
                  the pet shop is still in business. 
                Related
                        news 
                   
  								                
				                        
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