THE AGE (Melbourne, Australia) 24 September 08 Customs nab snake smugglers (Larissa Ham)
Photo at URL below: Two of the confiscated snakes. (Australian Customs Service)
Thankfully the passengers of a plane bound for Sydney last week have not suffered the same grim fate as those in the B-grade flick Snakes on a Plane.
But those responsible for smuggling two green tree pythons, two royal pythons, a reticulated python and two South American tarantulas into the country could soon be dealing with some nasty business of their own.
Customs in Sydney yesterday executed search and seizure warrants during investigations into an attempted smuggling of the illegal creatures in a package from the United States.
Officers x-rayed the package at a freight forwarder's depot at Mascot on September 19.
The contents of the package had been declared as baby toys and T-shirts but the x-ray indicated the presence of other items.
The snakes were wrapped in white calico bags and the spiders in clear plastic containers, and were euthanased because of their potential quarantine risk.
The find follows another case last week, where three men were arrested and charged for attempting to smuggle lizards out of Western Australia.
Customs investigators and NSW Police yesterday searched a Cambridge Gardens House in Sydney's west.
Customs national manager of investigations, Richard Janeczko, said charges were expected to be laid in the near future.
"Australia has strict laws governing the import of live animals. Wildlife smuggling is a cruel trade carried out with little or no thought for the welfare of the animals," he said.
"Australia's unique environment can be easily put at risk by such attempts."
Under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 it is illegal to import regulated live specimens without permits. The maximum penalty for offences is 10 years' imprisonment, a fine of $110,000 or both.
Customs nab snake smugglers