Tigers and pumas allegedly sold in Mallorca

They are accused of crimes against wildlife, smuggling, criminal organisation and document forgery. The operation, dubbed ‘Operation Kotach’ began in March 2024 based on information about a couple of Russian citizens who had settled in the town of Ariany (Mallorca) on a plot of land where they owned and bred servals (Leptailurus serval), caracals (Caracal caracal) and their hybrids with domestic cats, which they later put up for sale on well-known social networks.

The activity spotted on social networks was ‘extremely active’, and it was found that people from different continents were participating, with a very high demand for these animals. The investigations showed that the breeding of caracals and servals in Mallorca was the tip of the iceberg of an international operation involving other protected species: white tigers, black leopards, pumas, hyenas, etc. Most of the animals offered for sale came from Russia, Belarus and Ukraine and were smuggled into European Union territory.

Investigations suggest that the animals entered the European Union via the Polish border with Belarus and, from there, were distributed after fraudulent documentation had been prepared. It was a global criminal organisation involving breeders, transporters and veterinarians. According to the Guardia Civil, attempts to breed and keep these felines as pets are widespread in Russia and Ukraine, and this trend has begun to be imitated in other countries by wealthy people seeking a status symbol.

The suspects advertised the sale of white tigers, clouded leopards, boreal lynxes, hyenas, black leopards and pumas on their social network accounts. It was even found that 60,000 euros were being asked for a clouded leopard. These animals are protected by Council Regulation 338/97 of 9 December 1996 on the protection of species of wild fauna and flora by regulating trade therein, which implements the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) in the European Union.

The initial phase of the operation has resulted in two arrests and one person being placed under investigation for crimes against wildlife, smuggling, document forgery and criminal organisation.
Personnel from the Miterd, the Uprona of Mallorca and members of the Citizen Security of the Balearic Islands Command have collaborated in the operation.

Now the documentary analysis phase is beginning, in which the multitude of documents seized in the house searched will be analysed. In the house more than 40 passports of animals from Russia, Belarus and China were found, as well as a large amount of computer equipment (2 computers, 3 mobile phones and 2 pen drives).

During the search carried out on the 8th in Ariany (Mallorca), Guardia Civil agents located a total of 19 specimens of the felinidae family, included in CITES regulations and in EEC Regulation 3387/97.
The animals have been temporarily moved to the Safari Zoo in Son Servera. The Ministry of Ecological Transition will subsequently relocate them to Prima Domus, in Villena (Alicante), on a permanent basis.
Two people were arrested in the raid. They are a 48-year-old man of Russian nationality and a 46-year-old woman of the same nationality who are accused of the following crimes: crimes against wildlife, smuggling, criminal organisation and document forgery. In addition, subsequently, another 48-year-old man of Israeli nationality is being investigated for the same offences.