A 45-year-old wildlife trader was arrested by authorities during an entrapment operation in Sampaloc, Manila.
Lt. Col. John K Guiagui, station commander of the Sampaloc police station identified the suspect as Sharon Jon Jon Lim, a resident of Sta. Mesa, Manila. A case of violation of Republic Act 9147 was filed against him before the Manila Prosecutor’s Office on Monday.
Lim was arrested around 4:30 p.m. on June 6 along Geronimo Street in front of Trinidad Tecson Elementary School in Barangay 432, Zone 44, Sampaloc, Manila, during a buy-bust operation initiated by the Sampaloc police in coordination with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources-Biodiversity Management Bureau (DENR-BMB).
He is now facing charges for violation of Republic Act 9147, or the Wildlife Act, for trading endangered species. Illegal wildlife trade is a major driver of biodiversity loss, which is the fourth-largest transnational crime after drugs, arms and human trafficking. In the Philippines, illegal wildlife trade is a P50-billion industry.
The suspect was supposed to sell for P20,000 two brahminy kites, or P10,000 per bird, to a policeman who posed as buyer of the endangered birds. Brahminy kite, known locally as lawin, is a popular exotic pet among hobbyists.
Following his arrest, the police and DENR wildlife law enforcers led by Steven Toledo and Rogelio Demelletes conducted a follow-up operation at the suspect’s residence wherein a white-breasted sea eagle and an hawk-eagle were eventually rescued.
The brahminy kites, along with the sea eagle and hawk-eagle were turned-over to the DENR-BMB.
Lim, a recidivist wildlife trader according to Demelletes, has been in the radar of the DENR-BMB for years.
“We’ve been hunting him for five years. Finally, we got him this time,” Demelletes said.
Lim, according to Demelletes, discreetly buys and sells endangered species, mostly rare birds of prey.
The DENR-BMB said campaign there’s no letup in the drive against illegal wildlife trade, even as he appealed to the public to report suspicious activities of members of a syndicate engaged in on-line trading of endangered wildlife species which has become rampant in social media.