Mexico arrests 27 animal traffickers

Hundreds of police raided illicit markets to crack down on the lucrative trade in wild animals and rare flowers, arresting 27 traffickers across Mexico in one of the biggest swoops of its kind. Rich in flora and fauna, Mexico is a major hub for animal trafficking where locals buy lizards, macaws and tropical fish in city markets and smugglers move endangered species across the countrys border with the United States.The authorities netted 5,571 wild plants and animals in raids, of which 165 are different orchid species, 108 parrots and macaws, 854 birds of paradise, 672 reptiles, 129 mammals, 2998 insects, as well as 1,759 products which refer to leather and crafts using animal parts.The operation also found more than a dozen threatened animals like turtles, deer, snakes, iguanas, frogs and monkeys.