The smugglers were arrested at the weekend by Russian customs officers in the east of the country with 870 of the bear paws “and the remains of at least four Siberian tigers” in their three vehicles, said the Amur Tiger Center.
The Russian and Chinese citizens were also caught with bear teeth, deer tails and genitals, and other animal parts, as well as arms and ammunition and an amount of amber, the Russian tiger protection NGO said.
According to the tiger protection group, the smugglers were headed for China when they were apprehended and were preparing to cross the frozen Lake Khanka on the border.
China is a big market for animal parts from endangered or protected species, including tigers, bears, elephants, rhinoceroses, and pangolins.
The parts are used in the traditional medicine market, which flourishes despite the total lack of scientific evidence as to their efficacy and Chinese government campaigns to end the trade.
“The animal body parts are often transported close to Chinese New Year,” the NGO’s head Sergey Aramilev said.