5 people caught for poaching in China's Qinghai

XINING, Jan. 18 (Xinhua) -- Five suspects were arrested by police in northwest China's Qinghai Province for illegally hunting, purchasing, transporting and selling wild animals, local authorities said.

After receiving a report on Dec. 10, 2023 that some people were poaching wild animals in Xueshan Township, Maqen County, the police with the public security bureau of Maqen County in Golog Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of Qinghai arrested two suspects along with the wild animal they poached.

The captured wild animal was later identified as alpine musk deer, an endangered species under China's national first-class protection. Then, the police arrested three other suspects successively and seized five pieces of hunting tools.

An investigation showed that these suspects started to poach wild animals in Xueshan Township in June 2023. They sold five alpine musk deer, earning a total of 54,500 yuan (about 7,657.3 U.S. dollars).

On suspicion of jeopardizing precious and endangered wild animals, the five suspects have been placed under compulsory criminal law enforcement measures by the police according to law. Further investigations into this case is underway.