From Italy to Chile, with one goal: to get our hands on the rarest and most precious cacti. It’s the story of Andrea Piombettismuggler of exotic plants, stopped after years of looting in the Atacama desert. A story that raises questions about the illegal trafficking of protected species and the fragility of ecosystems.
The Atacama Desert in Chile is known for its rugged beauty and unique biodiversity. Among its botanical wonders the cacti of the Copiapoa genusendemic to this region and the subject of growing interest by unscrupulous collectors. One of these, Piombetti, was recently convicted of smuggling of almost a thousand specimens of Copiapoaa crime that brought to light international trafficking of rare and threatened plants.
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The story began in 2020, when the Italian police, during an operation in the city of Senigalliadiscovers a suspicious collection of cacti. Investigations reveal that the plants originate from Chile and were illegally introduced into the country. International collaboration begins between the Italian and Chilean authorities, which leads to Piombetti’s arrest at Santiago de Chile airport in September 2024.
According to reconstructions, the man had been operating since 2013. He regularly went to Taltal, a coastal town of around 10,000 inhabitants in the Atacama desert, where he illegally extracted cacti, photographed them, recorded their GPS coordinates and he mailed them to accomplices in Greece and Romania. From there, the plants were sent to Italy to be sold to collectors willing to pay exorbitant prices, even over a thousand euros per specimen.
The Taltal court sentenced Piombetti to a fine of 5 million Chilean pesos (around 5,000 euros), immediate expulsion from the country and a ban on entry for the next ten years. A severe sentence that underlines the growing attention of the Chilean authorities towards the protection of the national natural heritage.
“The smuggling of plant and animal species is highly harmful to ecosystems,” declared the regional prosecutor of Antofagasta, Juan Castro Bekios. “In this case, we are talking about a person who for years has illegally extracted cactus species that only exist in the Taltal area, causing enormous damage.”
The Piombetti case raises important questions about the illegal trafficking of plant species, a growing phenomenon fueled by the demand of private collectors and the lack of awareness of the environmental damage caused by these practices.
A fragile ecosystem
The Atacama Desert is an extremely fragile ecosystem, where succulent plants such as cacti play a fundamental role in maintaining ecological balance. Their slow growth and difficulty in reproduction make them particularly vulnerable to overexploitation.
The illegal extraction of cacti, in addition to impoverishing biodiversity, can have devastating consequences for the entire ecosystem. Plants, in fact, contribute to stabilize the soil, prevent erosion and provide food and shelter for various animal species. Their disappearance can trigger a chain reaction that puts the survival of other species and the health of the entire ecosystem at risk.
International collaboration, a winning weapon
Piombetti’s case demonstrates the importance of international collaboration in the fight against illegal trafficking of plant species. The exchange of information between the Italian and Chilean authorities was fundamental in identifying the person responsible and interrupting the flow of cacti to Europe.
This case represents an important precedent and a strong signal for those who engage in this type of criminal activity. The Chilean authorities have demonstrated their determination to protect their natural heritage and prosecute those who threaten it, regardless of nationality.
What can we do?
The fight against illegal trafficking of plant species requires commitment at multiple levels. Institutions must strengthen controls and sanctions, but it is also essential to increase public awareness of the problem.
Purchasing plants from certified nurseries, inquiring about the origin of the species and reporting any suspicious activities are concrete actions that each of us can undertake to contribute to the protection of biodiversity.
