MINNEAPOLIS - Two Twin Cities women are accused of smuggling products derived from protected wildlife into Minnesota and selling them at a Hmong marketplace.
An indictment in U.S. District Court also charges Pa Lor of Oakdale and Tia Lee Yang of Lake Elmo of conspiring to distribute anabolic steroids.
According to the indictment, an inspection of Lor's bags at the Twin Cities airport turned up nearly 1,400 pieces from wildlife. They included two Asian elephant teeth, 17 serow horns from a goat-like or antelope-like animal and 51 pieces of an endangered species of monkey.
Undercover officers also bought several wildlife items from Lor at a booth in the International Marketplace, a cluster of Hmong shops in St. Paul.
The booth was leased by Yang.
