Stories from Palawan

[exoticimports]

Feb 8, 2017 21:30:37 GMT skandinavisk said:

who was the complainant in reporting the Slovakian scientists to the authorities and was informed that it was a named local collector/dealer who had tried to sell some big showy beetles to the group soon after their arrival. .

Jan

I had the same experience! I refused to buy bugs from some shady character, and a few days later was intercepted by Criminal Investigations at the airport. Clearly, said shady guy had contacted somebody he knew in the police force and pulled some strings. The problem for him was that (1) I had all the legal paperwork and (2) the F&W guys (by coincidence!) were in the airport with me! It got pretty heated between F&W and BCI.   The head BCI guy couldn't cite any real reason my specimens were being detained, so I kept pushing him...he finally thought up a BS excuse that I hadn't paid export duty.  Fine.  We computed export duty, I paid him in cash, and off I went.

Note that just like my case, the Slovak case Skandinavisk cited is an example of a person personal grudge carried through by law enforcement.   Keep this in mind when overseas- particularly in countries like PNG where police are used as personal pawns on a daily basis.

Chuck