CHICAGO (CBS) — The Illinois Department of Natural Resources worked with federal agencies in Florida to take down a wildlife trafficking ring operating through Chicago.
In Florida 3,700 flying squirrels were captured. The traffickers then would drive the animals 1,400 miles in a rental car from Florida to Chicago.
READ MORE: Simeon High School Student Jamari Williams Shot And Killed Blocks From School; Classmate Wounded In Separate Shooting In Hyde ParkOnce in Chicago a wildlife exporter shipped them to South Korea where they were sold as exotic pets for thousands of dollars.
READ MORE: City To Install Or Upgrade 100 Miles Of Bike Lanes Over Next Two YearsThe traffickers also shipped alligators and protected freshwater turtles.
MORE NEWS: Chicago Teachers Union Says CPS Not Listening To Their COVID Concerns, And Thousands Of Students Have Been QuarantinedSeven people were arrested.
