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What I don't get is why go to all the hassle and expense of smuggling them when they could be bred locally? Surely the raising and breeding of leeches isn't complicated?

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It depends on the profit margins. If the labour in the destination country is significantly more expensive, harvesting/breeding somewhere else and transporting can make sense.

Maybe because the cost of travel and breeding expenses were lower compared to just doing the breeding in Canada.

Could also be the sales price which might be higher there than elsewhere.

I'm by no means an expert and it's just a guesstimate.

Possibly also regulation. I don't know how/if leech breeding is regulated but if it is I suspect it's a lot easier to hide one suitcase than a breeding operation.

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