ABSTRACT
According to the Norwegian Eco Crime Unit’s overview of 87 cases involving keeping and smuggling of exotic species from 2000 to 2010, 28 were concluded with a fine and 31 were dismissed for various reasons, including because too much time had elapsed for the case to be prosecuted. These cases are unlikely to be all such cases in this time period, since they are inconsistently coded. The confiscation reports indicate nonetheless, that regardless of how cases are coded, a fine is the usual response to the smuggling of wildlife to Norway. The fines ranged from 2,000 to 20,000 NOK, although 9,000 was the average. The data indicate that there has been an increase in the level of fines imposed, which may demonstrate that law enforcement agencies are taking these crimes more seriously. Even when the crimes in question concern large number of animals of endangered species, however, prison sentences are short and usually suspended. Such lenient punishment does not reflect the potential of the law and the increased priority such crimes should merit. In order to see how these crimes are prioritized by Norwegian police and Customs, I now turn to my interview data. 1
