Posted by:
EricWI
at Wed Sep 1 12:54:58 2010 [ Email Message ] [ Show All Posts by EricWI ]
A CONVICTED wildlife smuggler has been caught with nearly 100 live reptiles — including snakes and a turtle — in his luggage, it emerged today.
Airports officials in Malaysia caught Anson Wong, dubbed the "Lizard King" as he tried to board a flight for Indonesia.
They found 95 boa constrictors, two rhinoceros vipers and a matamata turtle inside the luggage.
Wong was only caught out because his bag had split.
Boa constrictors are subject to tough regulations or a complete ban in international trade.
They as they are listed in the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species.
A statement from the Wildlife and National Parks Department statement said Wong would remain in detention for two days
Under Malaysian law, if found guilty, he could face seven years in jail and fines of up to 100,000 ringgit (£20,625) for each animal or both.
According to US authorities, Wong has previously pleaded guilty to a trafficking in the United States in 2001 and was sentenced to 71 months in jail.
TRAFFIC, a wildlife trade monitoring organisation, said Malaysia must "rise to the challenge" of clamping down on wildlife smuggling.
A spokeswoman said: "Their attempt at mocking Malaysia's legal system must be dealt with head-on."
Last week, Thai customs officials found a two-month-old tiger stashed in a bag filled with tiger toys.
It had been checked in for an international passenger flight.
www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/3119275/Slippery-snake-smuggler-held.html
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 Another case of Reptile Smuggling - EricWI, Wed Sep 1 12:54:58 2010
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