Canada's wildlife police hope a recent bust of illegal exports of polar bear rugs to China will soon be a thing of the past.
A Quebec company has pleaded guilty to three counts of illegally exporting polar bear rugs to the Asian country after an 18-month investigation by Environment Canada.
The probe turned up other illegal hides that were surrendered without charges being laid.
Wildlife investigator Jonathan Campagna says new techniques using DNA will make it harder for smugglers to sneak such products past inspectors.
The methods are already in use in the Northwest Territories and Nunavut and are being brought to other regions with polar bears.
Canada exports about 200 legal polar bear skins a year, mostly to China.
