Customs And Excise Thwarts Komodo Smuggling Hidden In Underwear

JAKARTA - South Korean customs authorities thwarted the smuggling of endangered exotic animals, including Komodo dragons, by a network of smugglers into the country.

The gang member wrapped a young Komodo dragon, measuring about 50 centimeters in a cloth and hid it in underwear, quoted from The Korea Times November 15. In addition to the Komodo dragon, the gang is also trying to smuggle small snakes that are wrapped in dang hidden in cigarette boxes.

Incheon Airport Customs and Excise announced on Thursday that 14 people, including suspects identified as A and B, were referred to prosecutors without detention for violating customs laws.

Since July 2022, these suspects are suspected of smuggling 1,865 exotic animals worth around 1.9 billion won (Rp21,652,818,000) from countries such as Thailand and Indonesia.

Smuggled species also include lizards, turtles, snakes,tenders, and insects, some of which are protected under the International Trade Convention on Endangered Species (CITES).

Among the animals are Komodo dragons, Burmese star turtles, Zamrud tree boa snakes and Yangtze rare species which are worth millions to tens of millions of won, respectively.

Incheon Airport Customs noted that this was the first seizure of a Komodo dragon, which can grow up to more than three meters as an adult, which was smuggled into Korea.

The main suspect recruited acquaintances as couriers, offering free overseas trips in return.

The smugglers used various containers, including underwear, instant noodle cups to cigarette packs, to hide the animals and avoid detection. Komodo dragons were smuggled from Thailand by wrapping a young 50-60 centimeter Komodo dragon in a cloth and hiding it in underwear to avoid local inspections.

The smuggled animals are sold online or handed over to special reptile traders for big profits.

For example, a Burmese star tortoise purchased in Thailand for around 300,000 won resold in Korea for 4 million won, made a twelve-fold profit.

One of the suspects, B, who manages aquariums, smuggled three Komodo dragons with the intention of showing them off, falsified import documents to apply for official import approval from the Ministry of Environment. This application was later rejected.

An Incheon Airport Customs and Excise official said, "The captured living animals, including two Komodo dragons, have been transferred to the National Institute of Ecology to be protected. Smuggling of exotic species disrupts the ecosystem and poses a threat to public safety. We plan to intensify border controls to prevent such serious crimes."