From the 1970's to the mid 1990's most Australians were legally prohibited from keeping reptiles as pets. Those who did were jailed and fined. As a result of the publication of two books, namely "Smuggled" in 1993 and then "Smuggled-2" in 1996, governments across Australia were forced to rewrite the laws to allow (for the first time) most Australians to be able to keep reptiles as pets, study them and so on, without risks of heavily armed raids, fines and jail. Below are some reviews of the first of these significant publications.

BOOK REVIEWS.

SMUGGLED : THE UNDERGROUND TRADE IN AUSTRALIA'S WILDLIFE (1993)

WRITTEN BY: RAYMOND HOSER
PUBLISHED BY: APOLLO BOOKS
(REPRINTED BY KOTABI IN 1997)
ISBN 0 947068 18X (PAPERBACK)
PRICE : $22.50 (excluding postage)

If you have ever been interested in finding out more about the illegal trade in wildlife this book is definitely for you. The author provides a concise history of wildlife smuggling over the last 20 years. He names the people who, at one time or another, have contributed - either directly or indirectly - to the trade in wildlife and shows the connection with other countries. Also included are some details on smuggling rackets in other countries, especially the trade in wildlife products (skins, folk medicines, ivory, etc). He concludes with some suggestions which he believes may offer hope for conserving wildlife. He argues for the legalisation of trade in wildlife on the grounds that prices would drop and that the trade could be regulated by a permit system.

The N.S.W. National Parks and Wildlife Service attempted to ban this book in May 1993, however, the N.S.W. Minister for the Environment, the Hon. Chris Hartcher, publicly ordered that the ban be lifted (ABC 730 Report, 29th June, 1993).

This book is an excellent read for anyone wanting to learn about the negative effects of smuggling, the level of corruption in high places or simply in the animals themselves. Whether or not you agree with Hoser's final argument, that wildlife trade should be legalised, this book provides a wealth of information and is written in an easy going style. I personally could not put the book down once I had started - a brilliant piece of investigative journalism and a book that 1 highly recommend to our members

Heathclyff St. James Deville, The Australian Wildlife Protection Council (AWPC)

Book Worm Review by JASON HARRELLE

SMUGGLED (1) by Raymond Hoser, (1993 - Reprinted in 1997).

This book is a must read as our economy gets tougher day by day. This book tells how to get into the import and export of Australian and foreign wild life. This book is so honest it should be used as a text book for up and coming business men, why it even tells you who in what government departments (State and Federal) will help you on your way to millions of dollars in the illegal import export of wild life. I can understand why the National Parks and Wildlife Service want it banned as it exposes all the extra benefits of being in the know with politicians high ranking govermnent officials and their connections with this very lucrative business.

While reading this book you must try to hold on to your sense of right and wrong and you will marvel at how Raymond Hoser managed to. The amount of money involved, the power associated and the grief directed at you if you do not succumb to the temptation is mind boggling. Raymond exposes how this multi million dollar industry is conducted in such a way that the people involved think they are doing the right thing and see the Law and Courts as a business problem only.

In reality the industry operates in death of both wild life and people.Look out Raymond! Chapters in this book titled :"The Mafia Involvement" "The American Scene", "Zoos and other Institutions" in this book show how to launder money and wild life on an international scale and gives contact names both here and abroad. This book exposes corruption on a scale that you would only expect in the third world.

Raymond Hoser has written other books that you will enjoy from all the above aspects "THE HOSER FILES","SMUGGLED-2","AUSTRALIAN REPTILES AND FROGS" and "ENDANGERED ANIMALS OF AUSTRALIA"(now out of print). Raymond is an internationally recognised wildlife expert, with a growing reputation as a brilliant investigative journalist. Raymond Hoser is the person who should head the National Parks and Wild Life Service Nationally or at least be called in as an adviser. If these books are of interest to you get them while you can as they have been taken out of the main stream book shops. I suppose they are politically incorrect like all things that speak the truth they must be censored.

Order from Kotabi Publishing, P.0. Box 599, Doncaster, Victoria, 3108, Australia.($27.50 Australian includes postage).

Published in LOCK STOCK & BARREL EDITION 28 in 1997, on page 55.

WHAT THEY SAID ABOUT SMUGGLED...OTHER REVIEWERS COMMENTS.

'a controversial wildlife smuggling book' Sonya Sandham Sydney Morning Herald

'Smuggled is an appalling indictment of the system which is supposed to protect and conserve Australia's Wildlife' Tom Burgess, The Reptilian Magazine (U.K).

'The book details involvement of N.P.W.S. officers in the illegal international trade in Australian animals' Karen Fredericks, Green-Left Weekly

'Smuggled is a thorough work' Kevin Hingley, Herptile (UK).

'read Smuggled by Australian author Raymond Hoser as soon as it becomes available ... Hoser's book is a gold-mine of information.' Shirley McGreal, International Primate Protection League News

'Banning the public from reading books such as this is not a long term solution' Chris Gallus (M.P.), Federal Shadow Minister for the Environment. Canberra Times

'This act of censorship is an attack ... N.P.W.S is ... abusing it's position as a publicly funded authority' Robert Pullan, Chairman Australian Society of Authors,.

(Banning the book)'was ... essentially misdirected' Chris Hartcher (MP) NSW Minister for the Environment, A.B.C., 7.30 Report

SMUGGLED: The Underground Trade in Australia's Wildlife has now been reprinted (in 1998) due to unprecedented public demand. This is the book that blew the lid on major wildlife trafficking, drugs and other rackets being conducted by officials within the NSW and other state National Parks and Wildlife Services in Australia. The book not only detailed the involvement of these officials in illegal wildlife trade, murders, illegal armed raids, fabrication of evidence, court fixing, drug trafficking, cover-ups, media manipulation and so on, but also the involvement of overseas Mafia interests in these and other rackets such as meat substitution, phone tapping, etc.

When published in May 1993, the book was immediately banned by the New South Wales National Parks and Wildlife Service who were desperately attempting to stop the public from finding out about rackets the department's senior management had been in control of for the previous twenty years. Although the ban on sales of the book were lifted a month after release, high demand resulted in many interested people being unable to get hold of the book. As a result, the book has now been republished and re-released, with new cover and other updates. This book is the obvious companion volume to Smuggled-2: Wildlife Trafficking, Crime and Corruption in Australia. Smuggled-2 is an all-new sequel to Smuggled with totally new case material not published in Smuggled. In other words, the contents of both books is totally different. Both books detail different rackets, different murders, different scams and so on. The only major common thread is the characters involved. In the main these are corrupt wildlife officials, disgraced ex-policemen and other people of dubious character. Smuggled-2 was also banned after release in late 1996. Three defamation actions to stop sales against the book failed and the official ban was therefore lifted on Christmas eve 1996, after the last writ failed.

Smuggled had over 100 reviews - all were favorable. Two so-called reviews that were critical of Smuggled were later retracted after it was shown they contained false and defamatory statements and had been written on behalf of the N.P.W.S. in what turned out to be failed attempts to discredit the book. Smuggled and Smuggled-2 are mandatory reading for those concerned about organized crime of any sort or wildlife and wildlife keeping in Australia and the United States.

As a result of the publication of the Smuggled books, State governments across Australia were forced for the first time ever to legally allow the private ownership of pet reptiles. For the first time in decades, and solely as a result of the two books by Raymond Hoser, corageously published by Pierson Publishing and Kotabi P/L, people in states such as New South Wales and Western Australia were allowed to keep reptiles as pets without risk of jail. Persons in states such as Victoria and South Australia also won similar legal changes to allow them private ownership of reptiles.

Smuggled is 160 pages, printed on 90 gsm white paper and is illustrated. It makes compelling reading. Smuggled-2 is 280 pages, printed on 80 gsm white paper, has over 100 illustrations. It is riveting reading.

TO ORDER COPIES OF EITHER SMUGGLED BOOKS OR OTHER KOTABI CORRUPTION TITLES -

TO SEARCH THE COMPLETE MANUSCRIPTS OF BOTH SMUGGLED BOOKS OR OTHER KOTABI CORRUPTION TITLES -

FOR GREEN SMUGGLED -

Also see the "Australians Against Corruption" site on the internet - http://www.smuggled.com

Raymond Hoser has been an active herpetologist for about 30 years and published over 120 papers in journals worldwide. He has written seven books including the definitive works " Australian Reptiles and Frogs ", "Endangered Animals of Australia" and the controversial best seller "Smuggled - The Underground Trade in Australia's Wildlife". Click on the text below for details about his latest book - Smuggled-2 that is of major interest to herpetologists everywhere.