Orchid Fever

In 1995, a sting operation was put into action that resulted in the arrest of a smuggler less than 24 hours after he’d set foot on American soil. The sting had taken over a year to devise. The target had been Indonesian national, Harto Kolopaking and his smuggled loot: wild orchids flowers. Harto became the first person to ever face prison time in the U.S. for smuggling Orchids but his prosecution isn’t all that it seems.  This is a story of the fight for survival, the critical world of conservation and begs the question, is there ever a right time to partner with the ones breaking the rules? Go to cheatpodcast.com to fill out our listener survey and tell us what you want to hear on the show! A Somethin Else production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices