Spanish police said Monday they arrested two suspects of selling exotic cats online, including sheltered species such as white tigers and pumas, and surgeries confiscated 19 cats.
Officers arrested the couple in Mallorca. There, police said they are suspected of raising desert lynx and servals, wild cats native to Africa, and hybrid species created by crossing these breeds with their cats. According to Majorca Daily Bulletin, the two suspects arrested are Russian.
Further investigations found that their activities were merely “involving breeders, transporters and veterinarians” of international human trafficking operations for protected species such as white tigers and black panthers, Spanish civil guards and the interior ministry said in a news release.
“Most of the animals for sale came from countries like Russia, Belarus and Ukraine that are smuggled into the European Union,” they added.
Police suspected the animal was brought from Belarus to the European Union through Poland, and was later provided across the block in erroneous documents.
Among other species were offered that couples were for sale on social media accounts. Officials have released several images showing cats in the enclosure and served as an officer collecting evidence.
Police said the suspect offered a cloudy leopard, one of the world’s rarest elusive cats, at a price of 60,000 euros ($68,000).
The officers also seized Caracal, a desert lynx known for its distinctive long ear clusters, seized two serves and 16 hybrid cats.
They also seized passports of more than 40 animals from Russia, Belarus and China as part of their operations.
Police said attempts to breed and maintain exotic cats have spread to other countries as pets are spreading in Russia and Ukraine.
“These species need a lot of space,” police said. “And that’s why many people get rid of these specimens because they are very aggressive and can pose a risk to people and other animals.”
