Police Dismantle Homeless And Life Reptile Smuggling Network Worth IDR 12.4 Billion To Hong Kong

The capital confiscated by New South Wales Police. (Source: NSW Police)

JAKARTA - Australian police managed to dismantle a smuggling network that attempted to illegally export live lizards and reptiles worth more than 1.2 million Australian dollars (IDR 12,464,744,040) to Hong Kong.

Three men, aged 54, 59 and 31, and a woman, 41, were arrested in Sydney as part of an investigation, the New South Wales Police said in a statement published Monday this week.

The operation began in September 2023, when nine packages containing 59 live lizards were stopped on their way to Hong Kong.

Authorities said the four suspects were scheduled to begin trial this month.

"The police will accuse the court that the criminal group is capturing a living lizard and a native Australian reptile for export for profit to Hong Kong," the police said in a statement, as reported by CNN Jan. 8.

"The animals are stored in poor condition and tied in small containers when packed for delivery," the police added.

The police further said they found a total of 257 lizards and three snakes during the investigation, both in the package and in the address used by the group.

The police estimate that each of the lizards costs around USD 5,000, bringing the total to around USD 1.285 million.

Before being released back into the wild, the reptiles will be taken to various zoos and wildlife parks, to undergo examination by veterinarians.

Police did not explain why the lizard was allegedly smuggled, but Hong Kong has long been considered an illegal wildlife trade center, because of its busy port and its status as a gateway to mainland China.

The Hong Kong World Wildlife Fund (WWF) also said, "exotic pets are becoming increasingly popular" in the semi-autonomous region of China.

"Rare species of turtles and turtles, snakes, lizards, parrots, sugar gliders, hedgehogs,fermen and many others, are traded as pets," the charity said on its website.