Man arrested on suspicion of selling whale teeth

A man has been arrested by police in Oxfordshire following the discovery of a large collection of whale teeth.

According to a statement from Thames Valley Police, the 49-year-old man was detained and later released on suspicion of offering for sale a specimen of an endangered species.

The teeth, from a sperm whale, are thought to be worth over £18,000.

Taking teeth from whales is an offence in the UK under the Wildlife and Countryside Act.  A report which WDC contributed to on wildlife crime and produced by the Wildlife and Countryside Link (WCL), has highlighted the worrying levels of unwitnessed or unreported incidents, shockingly low conviction rates and continued exploitation of wildlife. For example, just 10 people were convicted of wildlife crimes in England and Wales in 2019-2020, excluding convictions for fisheries crimes.