A haul of taxidermy animals including a tiger’s head, monkey skulls, reptiles and stuffed birds of prey have been seized by the authorities. They were recovered by officers from the National Crime Agency (NCA) at a residential address and business premises in Newton Abbot, Devon, on Thursday.



The operation follows the seizure by the UK Border Force of a chameleon preserved in formaldehyde at the Heathrow Worldwide Distribution Centre postal hub last month.



The reptile, which had been shipped from the US, was found to be a controlled species, meaning strict rules are in place to prevent illegal trading. It led NCA officers, supported by specialist officers from the UK Border Force, to Devon, where a 40-year-old man was arrested at his home. At the business address they seized a number of items, including primates, reptiles, birds of prey, ivory objects and other material, which will now be taken away for further analysis.



Dawn Cartwright, from the NCA’s Border Policing Command, said: “Unregulated imports or exports of rare species can have a devastating impact on their survival, which is why the law around moving them is so strict and we take potential breaches of that law so seriously. Working with Border Force and our law enforcement partners, we will continue to target the international criminal trade in endangered species.”



The man, who was arrested on suspicion of evading restrictions contrary to the Customs and Excise Management Act 1979 and Control of Endangered Species (Enforcement) Regulations 1997, was released on bail until September.