Woman admits selling illegal elephant ivory on eBay

A Dundee woman made thousands of pounds secretly selling elephant ivory on eBay, a court has been told.

Joyce Bell, 67, admitted selling the banned goods in what is understood to be the first conviction of its kind in Scotland.

Dundee Sheriff Court heard that Bell sold nearly 100 items made with ivory obtained from the tusks of elephants.

Bell admitted selling ivory items in 2022 contrary to the Ivory Act 2018.

She had claimed to be selling items made with "bovine bone" to get around eBay's ban on ivory trading, but collectors knew she was selling prohibited goods.

The court was told that Bell spent years selling costume jewellery to China and other countries and had made £6,412 as a result.

Sheriff George Way deferred sentence until 24 June for reports and said: "It is rare for me to be stumped, but after 16 years on the bench I have never had a case of this nature."

Bell also admitted fraudulently evading export duty payments by exporting items without a permit.

She further admitted exporting, or trying to export, ivory goods without applying for, or obtaining, export permits.

Fiscal depute Karon Rollo told the court that the Border Force agency at Heathrow Airport highlighted a number of parcel seizures which they suspected contained elephant ivory.

She said a parcel for China was examined by Border Force and found to contain a necklace made from elephant ivory.

The fiscal said several more parcels were intercepted and notices were issued to Bell telling her she required permits to export the jewellery and trinkets.

Bell did not respond to the demands and was later found to be selling items for nearly 10 times what she claimed to be charging.

The online auction website confirmed that between April 2018 and April 2022 there had been a number of sales of "bovine bone" from the accounts Bell was using.

While "bovine bone" sales are legal, elephant ivory - which is heavier - is not.

The court was told that international collectors would have been well aware from the listed weights that Bell's goods were made from elephant ivory.

Ms Rollo told the court: "She said she bought it because she liked and hoarded it and on occasion she sold them for extra money and as a hobby.

"She stated that she didn't know the difference between ivory and bovine bone.

"She said she didn't think the items were ivory and continued trading because she didn't know the difference."

The Ivory Act 2018 bans people from dealing in ivory. It also applies to anyone who causes, arranges or helps someone else to deal in ivory.