Trafficking of fake purebred dogs discovered between Slovakia, Emilia Romagna and Campania: 6 arrests

Following a joint investigation by the Carabinieri CITES Group, the Ravenna Forestry Carabinieri, and the Ravenna Flying Squad, a transnational syndicate involved in the illicit trafficking of French bulldog puppies and commercial fraud has been dismantled.

The investigation led to the execution of six precautionary measures for transnational criminal conspiracy. The members of the organization are accused of selling mixed-breed puppies as purebred dogs at exorbitant prices, up to €3.000 each.

At the centre of the investigation is the breeding farm "I cuccioli di Carlotta" in Nitra, Slovakia which made use of accomplices in CampaniaThe puppies, advertised on social media as purebred French bulldogs, were actually imported illegally from Eastern Europe with no guarantee of provenance or genetic traceability.

And that's why, once accompanied by imaginative and misleading documents, self-produced by traffickers in Slovakia and Campania, they were smuggled into Italy at a very high markup for the organization, compared to the original purchase price.

To convince buyers, the criminal organization used celebrity endorsements and fake pedigrees. The puppies were provided with forged documents, which made them appear to be purebred dogs and guaranteed them the right to participate in world-class shows.

The criminal organization had created an illegal association parallel to the ENCI, called "ICBD - Club Italiano CANI di Razza." The "ICBD pedigree," which had no legal standing, was advertised as being part of the "WDF Kennel Club," a fictitious association created by a Neapolitan family.

The investigation revealed that the puppies sold did not conform to the breed standard established by the International Cynological Federation and could never have been considered "purebred".

The puppies were transported illegally, bypassing the TRACES system and without the necessary documentation. The criminal organization made huge profits, marking up the puppies' original purchase price by up to ten times.

The operation led to the arrest of six people, some of whom were foreign residents. The investigation involved several countries, particularly Slovakia, with the collaboration of the Slovak Police Service.

The operation represents a major step forward in the fight against illegal pet trafficking. Trafficking, in addition to being a crime against animals, poses a risk to public health and fuels an illegal market worth millions of euros.