Sinister seizure of 240 Himalayan or black bear paws made in Russian Far East

The illegal slaughter of 60 bears is feared to obtain the grisly cargo. Picture: FSB Border Control

Two paws of a Siberian or Amur tiger were among the seized goods as were a pair of extinct woolly mammoth tusks. 

The illegal slaughter of 60 bears is feared to obtain the grisly cargo. 

'Two Russian nationals and two foreigners have been detained,' said a statement from the FSB security service.

Penalties for convicted smugglers are up to seven years in jail.

FSB sources said a total of 44 bear paws and two Amur tiger paws were seized from two 'foreigners' by alert border guards at the Kraskino frontier post.

This links the Primorsky region of Russia with the People’s Republic of China. 

Another 198 bear paws and two mammoth tusks were seized from garage at a house linked to the alleged smuggling ring in Primorsky region.

Four sacks of unidentified animal body parts were also found. 

Sergey Aramilev, director general of Amur Tiger Centre, said: ‘This is clearly a crime.’

The tigers are the among the most threatened big cats on the planet. 

'All the circumstances of the crime and all the chains in the criminal ring will be established during the investigation,' he said, praising the FSB for smashing this smuggling channel.

'It is most important to establish where are the remaining parts of the tiger.'

But he feared only a 'small part' of a large trafficking operation of wild animal parts is curtailed by the authorities.

Delicacies made with bear paws can command prices of $1000 in China. 

King Zhou, the last ruler of the Shang dynasty of ancient China, was known to be a fan of such dishes. 

They are held to be good for spleens and stomachs and as cures for rheumatism although it is unclear that there is hard evidence to support this. 

Mammoth tusks are ground into powder and can be used for traditional medicines and cosmetics.