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Thursday, March 28, 2024 | Back issues
Courthouse News Service Courthouse News Service

California Succulents Heist

In this March 2018 photo provided by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, wildlife officer Pat Freeling replants a Dudleya in Mendocino County, Calif. State wildlife officials say they have uncovered an international plant heist involving thieves from Korea and China who are slipping into Northern California's wild landscapes to pluck succulents they then sell in a thriving black market in Asia. The Mercury News in San Jose, Calif., reports the stolen succulents called Dudleya farinose fetch up to $50 per plant in Asia, where a growing middle class is fueling demand. Investigators say organized smuggling rings based in Asia are behind the thefts. (Travis VanZant/California Department of Fish and Wildlife via AP)

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