Snow leopard fur suspects busted in Inner Mongolia

Five suspects believed to be involved in the smuggling of snow leopard fur were seized on Tuesday, according to the Manzhouli Customs anti-smuggling bureau Thursday.

A police officer with the bureau, surnamed Zhang, said they received a report in September that a Mongolian had smuggled snow leopard fur from Mongolia to China.

After investigation, local police arrested the Mongolian, a Chinese intermediary, and three Chinese buyers while they were doing a deal in a hotel in Manzhouli City on Tuesday. Police also seized snow leopard fur and 50,000 yuan (7,279 U.S. dollars) at the scene.

Zhang said customs from both China and Mongolia were cooperating on the case. It is still unclear whether the leopard was killed in China.

Snow leopards are a Class A protected animal and are classified as "endangered" by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. They are usually found in the Himalayan ranges of central and south Asia, and typically live at an altitude of 2,500 to 4,500 meters. The animals have been found in 12 countries and have been spotted in China's Qinghai, Tibet, Xinjiang, Gansu, Sichuan and Yunnan.

The animal has rarely been seen in the wild this century due to loss of habitat and poaching. There are an estimated 3,500 to 7,000 snow leopards living in the wild, in addition to around 650 in captivity worldwide, according to official statistics released in 2015.

Under China's criminal law, those who smuggle animals and their products can face five years in jail and fines. If the circumstances are especially serious, the offender shall be sentenced to jail terms of more than 10 years or even life imprisonment, and also to confiscation of property. Endi