Bartosz Poklek, a 30-year-old from Hartslock Drive in Abbey Wood, was sentenced to three years and three months in prison on Friday, October 9, for his role as ringleader of an international network of “zoo sadists” who tortured and killed monkeys for entertainment. Poklek distributed “horrific” cruelty videos that sold for up to 500 dollars each, wrote scripts for how the animals should be tortured, and directed the manner of their deaths, including clubbing them with a hammer.
Investigation and arrests
The investigation, named Operation Razorcloud, was a joint operation between the UK’s National Wildlife Crime Unit, UK police forces, US Homeland Security Investigations, and the US Fish and Wildlife Service. It has resulted in 23 arrests in the UK and USA, with 20 convictions so far.
Chief Inspector Kevin Lacks-Kelly, Head of the UK’s National Wildlife Crime Unit, said: “Poklek was the central figure behind a series of closed online groups whose members shared a common and depraved fascination with inflicting prolonged, escalating torture on monkeys. Those inflicting the torture deliberately kept the animals alive for as long as possible to extend their suffering and recorded the acts for their own perverse gain.”
Court details and sentencing
Woolwich Crown Court heard that Poklek played a leading role in the “monkey hate” online community, running chat groups and distributing thousands of “abuse on demand” videos and images. Some monkeys were dressed as babies during violent attacks, raising concerns that they are being used as “proxies” by individuals seeking sadistic child abuse content.
Judge Christopher Grout sentenced Poklek and described the case as unprecedented, stating: “It is no exaggeration to say that as a lawyer or as a judge I have never encountered such a horrific case of animal abuse in my life. The facts of the offending are truly appalling, likely to cause distress to anyone listening to or reading about them.”
The judge also called on Parliament to consider increasing the five-year maximum penalty for animal abuse, saying: “If ever there was a case that demonstrates that the statutory maximum for animal cruelty is too low, this is it.”
International impact and response
William Crogan, Attaché for HSI at the U.S. Embassy in London, said: “Poklek and his associates directed and shared horrific acts of animal cruelty that were viewed by audiences around the world. The determination of HSI New Orleans, NWCU and multiple UK police forces ensured Poklek and his associates could not hide behind online anonymity.”
Prosecutor Alex Kettle-Williams told the court that Poklek styled himself as “BP” online, ran a chat group titled “BP empire”, and was “a controlling figure in what is known as the ‘monkey hate community’”. Police found thousands of videos, including a 39-minute video of a baby monkey being tortured with alcohol, fire, and zip ties, and a nearly half-hour video of another baby monkey mutilated with scissors while alive.
Poklek was arrested after attempting to obtain court documents from a US monkey torture case. He admitted running a “large-scale monkey torture ring” between June 2023 and September 2025, and pleaded guilty to publishing obscene videos for gain, possession of indecent images of children, and possession of ketamine.
Adeolu Odusote of the Crown Prosecution Service said: “Bartosz Poklek was a key cog in a vile trade that oversaw and encouraged the sickening torture of monkeys. Treating vulnerable animals in this way is a horrifying practice that must be rooted out wherever it’s found.”
