A couple accused of breeding exotic cats in Spain have been arrested following a raid on their luxury villa.
Guardia Civil officers cuffed the pair at their palatial home in Manacor, Mallorca, after discovering 19 exotic felines, including a desert lynx and two servals.
The force said in a statement on Monday: ‘The detainees sold different animal species such as white tigers, black leopards, hyenas and pumas to different parts of the world via the internet.’
Some breeds were being sold for up to €60,000 a pop, including the clouded leopard. The couple face charges of wildlife crimes, smuggling, falsifying documents and criminal conspiracy.
Agents seized more than 40 animal passports pertaining to Russia, Belarus and China.
Several devices were also removed from the property for analysis, including two computers, three mobile phones and two pen drives.
The Guardia Civil said the raid ‘uncovered a global criminal organisation which included breeders, traffickers and veterinarians’, adding that the initial arrests are ‘just the tip of the iceberg.’
The investigation began thanks to a tip off in March to Seprona, the animal welfare arm of the Guardia Civil.
The pair were said to have an ‘extremely active’ online presence and are accused of smuggling the animals into the EU from Russia, Belarus and Ukraine via Poland.
In total, 16 animals were removed from the land and are being held at Mallorca’s Safari Zoo de Son Servera. The move is temporary and they will later be relocated to Alicante.
According to the Guardia Civil, the couple were part of an emerging trend that sees dangerous animals such as the desert lynx bred with domestic cats – offering exclusive specimens that appear wild but are less likely to harm humans.
