From January 2021 to October 2022, the investigated Association irregularly exported 482 dogs to the United Kingdom
The president of the Association falsified the export certificates and presented them to the United Kingdom authorities
On March 1, the Fiscal and Border Analysis and Investigation Unit (UDAIFF) of the Civil Guard and the Nature Protection Service (SEPRONA) investigated the president of an Association for a continued crime of document falsification, by falsifying the export certificates and present them to the United Kingdom authorities for exporting 482 dogs from Gran Canaria to the United Kingdom from January 2021 to October 2022. Events that occurred in the town of Agüimes.
Knowledge of the facts
The Civil Guard was made aware of the events on November 04, 2022 following a complaint filed by the Regional Coordinator of the Animal Health Service of the Agriculture and Fisheries Area of the Canary Islands Government Delegation, reporting that his counterpart in The United Kingdom (APHA) had passed on information when investigating the entry into the United Kingdom of dogs from the island of Gran Canaria, due to the doubtful authenticity of the Official Certificates presented by the investigated Association, being able to verify that said Certificates were not had been carried out by the Animal Health Service.
Start and development of research
The agents, after becoming aware of the events that occurred, carried out all the pertinent steps to clarify the criminal offense, proceeding to verify how from January 2021 to October 2022 said Association had exported 482 dogs to the United Kingdom, requesting adopters an economic amount of around 542 euros for the costs of animal care and transportation.
Likewise, a joint inspection was carried out with the Veterinary Technician of the General Directorate of Livestock in the facilities owned by the investigated Association in the municipality of Agüimes, locating a large number of animals of different species (141 dogs, 3 pigs, 8 goats, 7 horses, 5 sheep and 30 chickens), lacking records of entry and exit of animals or collection of carcasses by an authorized management company, in addition to lack of registration in the Registry of Livestock Farms of the Canary Islands (REGAC), indicating the president of the investigated Association that the majority of the dogs come from the Bañaderos Island Shelter and from the CETAs of the municipalities of Ingenio, Santa Lucía de Tirajana and Agüimes.
It should be noted that the agents located 4 corpses of dogs with microchips half buried in the land adjacent to the Association's facilities.
The researchers, in the exercise of their specific functions, verified the Community Passports of the dogs, and were able to verify how in one of them the seal of the mandatory anti-rabies vaccination campaign and the label corresponding to the identification of the vaccine, have been cut out. from another passport and taped together.
Therefore, since these are intra-community commercial movements of live animals, they are subject to complying with the zoosanitary standards established to prevent the spread of potentially communicable diseases to humans and other animals, in addition to coming from establishments that comply with current legislation and being authorized to do so. effect, this is not the case of this Association as it is not registered in the Registry of Livestock Farms of the Canary Islands.
To avoid the controls of Spain and not declare the commercial consignments with their corresponding Single Administrative Document (DUA), the President of the Association falsified the Export Certificates and presented them to the United Kingdom authorities.
With this practice, he introduced some 482 dogs into the United Kingdom, thereby obtaining financial contributions that could be around 265.000 euros.
The proceedings were delivered to the Telde Police Court (Las Palmas).
