A Maidstone woman has been fined $12,000 and received a five-year hunting suspension following convictions for wildlife trafficking and the unlawful transport of bear parts.
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The investigation, sparked by a public tip in March 2022, was conducted by the General Investigations Section of the Ministry of Community Safety. It began in Maidstone, Sask., and later expanded into British Columbia, where a second suspect was identified.
Weol Ran Lee, of Maidstone, pleaded guilty on Nov. 24, 2025, in Lloydminster Provincial Court to trafficking in wildlife, including black bear paws and gall bladders. She was fined $7,000 and banned from hunting for five years.
Lee also admitted to unlawfully transporting wildlife parts across provinces after purchasing bear paws in Saskatchewan and taking them to Alberta. For that offence, she was fined $5,000, prohibited from possessing bear parts for five years, and ordered to forfeit any money connected to the offence.
A family member of Lee had previously pleaded guilty in British Columbia in August 2025 to similar charges involving bear parts and was fined $9,875.
The Saskatchewan government said trafficking in wildlife undermines lawful hunting, devalues public natural resources, and can harm ecosystems. Officials also reminded the public that citizen tips play a key role in protecting wildlife.
Anyone who suspects wildlife, fisheries, forestry, or environmental violations can call Saskatchewan’s toll-free Turn in Poachers and Polluters (TIPP) line at 1-800-667-7561 or report violations online at saskatchewan.ca/tipp. Tips can be submitted anonymously, and cash rewards may be available.
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