Mission: To Uncover International Fossil Smuggling.
The international trade in fossils is a multimillion dollar industry around the world - once the science came first, but this is the story of how nowadays the mighty dollar is taking over. This book is a tie-in with a TV documentary which will be screened on SBS in October 2002.
These days sale of a dinosaur fossil for millions of dollars seems to take precedence over what scientific information may have been lost by its crude excavation, or even whether the specimen will end up in a proper museum to be cared for and preserved for all time...
In October 1996 rare dinosaur footprints were stolen from an isolated beach near Broome in Western Australia. Not only was the scientific world horrified by the theft, but it was also a violation of an Aboriginal sacred site. Attempting to trace the theft and recover the stolen footprints, Australian palaeontologist John Long teams up with the world's specialised fossil cop, US lawman Sgt Steve Rogers and together they delve into the case.
Leads take them around Australia, to Germany, London and parts of the United States on the trail of the missing fossils. They visit a large international fossil trade show, explore the enigmatic world of the international fossil trade, where dinosaur dealers offer priceless scientific treasures for millions of dollars.
They encounter slick professional fossil traders, go undercover to interview nefarious dealers with criminal backgrounds, and learn about the illegal world of fossil poaching and fossil smuggling going on in many countries around the world.
They interview leading scientists, policemen and amateur collectors to discuss the legislation which protects fossils and their sites, and which enables some people to dig up and sell valuable fossils.
Along the way several criminal case histories are given to show how some countries take their fossil laws very seriously. The journey is an adventure, with discovery and danger along the way, but when you deal with thieves and criminals, that's expected.
