Corby Chinese herbal 'doctor' sold endangered pangolin scales and seahorses from online shop

A traditional Chinese medicine seller traded banned remedies from his online store based in Corby.

Pangolin scales, rare orchids, seahorses and deer musk were all being traded by Lei Zheng, who appeared at Northampton Crown Court in front of His Honour Judge David Herbert King’s Counsel on Thursday (September 8) to plead guilty to seven charges of being involved in the sale of endangered species in contravention of UK and EU regulations.

Eagle-eyed Northants rural crime officer PC Chloe Gillies spotted the items being sold online as remedies for ailments and tracked them down to Zheng, who trades as Dr T&T on eBay and Amazon.

The court was told Zheng had been trading since 2010 and had a very healthy turnover, with more than 30,000 sales on his eBay page.

But in 2018, PC Gillies spotted '100 per cent deer musk’ for sale for £69.97.

Deer musk is taken from the glands of killed male deer and is said to be a cure for ailments of the heart and chest in traditional Chinese medicine. It is more expensive than gold.

Raids were carried out on Zheng’s addresses at Holkham Close and Epsom Walk in Corby. Numerous items were found at Epsom Walk, which had been set out like a shop.

Along with the deer musk, officers found:

- costas root, a critically endangered herb that grows in the Himalayas and is said to treat worm infections. It cannot be successfully cultivated and its numbers have reduced by reduced by 80 per cent in the past ten years.

- pangolin scales from the critically endangered scaly anteater, of which an estimated 195,000 were trafficked worldwide in 2019. The scales have no proven medicinal value but are used in traditional Asian medicine to treat a range of illnesses. They are very difficult to breed in captivity and a female only has one offspring every year.

- rare tree ferns, orchids, and ginseng of the desert which is said to boost male fertility.

- dried seahorses which are said to improve impotence.

Most major countries are signed up to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora which has strict rules on the trade and importation of endangered wild animals and plants in an attempt to protect them from extinction.

The court heard 54-year-old Zheng, who moved to the UK 20 years ago, admitted the charges on the day a trial was due to start in July. He is of previous good character and is a carer for his mother.

Barrister Simon Hunka told the court his client was a family man with a son in law school and was truly remorseful for his actions.

Mr Hunka added: “It's been hanging over him for five years. He's a worrier by nature and he's been concerned as to what might happen for many months.”

Judge Herbert said: “You were running a busy business and you should have been aware of the status of these items.”

He sentenced Zheng to six months in prison, suspended for 21 months.

Zheng must also complete 120 hours of unpaid work.

A proceeds of crime act hearing, where the court will decide whether to financially penalise Zheng, will take place in December.