British Army soldier admits selling sperm whale teeth on Facebook marketplace
A British Army soldier has admitted selling an enormous collection of sperm whale teeth following the discovery of the UK's largest ever haul worth more than £18,000.
Lance Corporal Tevita Lavaki, 50, had been running an illegal "side hustle" on Facebook marketplace, magistrates heard.
The soldier, serving in the British Army's Catering Corps, had whale teeth worth more than £18,350 when his home in Grove, Oxfordshire, was searched by the police last September.
Lavaki pleaded guilty at Oxford Magistrates Court on Thursday to three breaches of the Trade in Endangered Species regulations by offering for sale, keeping for sale and selling the sperm whale teeth.
He was discovered when Oxfordshire County Council's Trading Standards team received an anonymous tip-off about social media adverts for the items and the information was passed on to Thames Valley Police, who contacted the national Wildlife Crime Unit.
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Sperm whales are a protected species (Getty Images)The UK-wide police unit confirmed that the teeth in the Facebook pictures came from sperm whales, an endangered species listed as vulnerable by international conservation chiefs.
Officers followed the trail back to Lavaki, who was the sole director of the company responsible for the Facebook advertisements.
Prosecuting, Nony Umenyiora told the court: "Officers were able to execute a warrant at his address [where] they were then able to seize 41 sperm whale teeth. I believe the value is £18,350.
"There is also evidence to show that the defendant had travelled from Dover to Dunkirk in 2022 [and] Norway to Denmark, where he bought the whales' teeth."
Ms Umenyiora said evidence gathered by the police showed he had prepared teeth for onward sale and the court heard the defendant had sold "at least three" teeth.
It is illegal to sell whale teeth in the UK without a permit, and sperm whales are protected under the Marine Mammal Protection Act 1972. Sperm whales are considered vulnerable due to extensive whaling of the species from the 1930's to 1980's.
When he was interviewed, Lavaki admitted what he had done but claimed not to know he needed a licence to sell the teeth.
Ms Umenyiora added: "He's admitted he had sold at least three to buyers in the UK [but was] unaware it was illegal in this country and he didn't have a licence."
The prosecutor told the court that sperm whales, which can grow up to 18 metres and weigh as much as 57 tonnes, were considered at very high risk of extinction in the wild.
Defending, Lucy Ffrench said the pleas were entered on a basis consistent with what he told the police in his interview.
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The whale teeth were extremely valuable in Fiji, where Lavaki is from. Called tabua, the polished teeth are commonly given as wedding gifts or as presents on other special occasions.
Father-of-three Lavaki had set out his position in his interview, when he said he had wanted the sperm whale teeth "for his family".
Ms Ffrench said: "Because he has Fijian friends, he was starting to receive offers for sale."
He had previously bought the teeth "for approximately £2,000."
The magistrates adjourned the case for the preparation of a pre-sentence report from the probation service.
Lavaki was granted bail to return to the Speedwell Street court on July 26. He had one previous conviction, from 2020 and in the military courts, for fraud.
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