Women jailed after they tried to smuggle endangered iguanas through Heathrow Airport in socks

Two women have been jailed for attempting to smuggle 13 endangered iguanas through Heathrow Airport - by concealing them inside socks.

Romanian nationals Angla-Alina Bita, 26, and Vitora-Oliva Busca, 24, were arrested after Border Force officers carried out checks at Heathrow Terminal five on February 3. Isleworth Crown Court heard the pair arrived on a flight from the Bahamas and were due to fly on to Düsseldorf, Germany.

The iguanas were wrapped in individual socks and stuffed into a suitcase. One of the reptiles died during the journey.

They were found to be extremely dehydrated and have since been given specialist care by experts in the UK, with the aim to return them to their natural habitat in the Caribbean.

The creatures were later identified as San Salvador rock iguanas – a species so rare only a few are known to be in existence.

Source: Evening Standard - News

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Man tries to smuggle turtle onto plane by hiding it in a hamburger

Passenger said he only wanted to travel together with his 'beloved' pet

Turtles and burgers usually don't go together - except when they do. Photo: "Turtle Burger" by flickr user 'flaunted'

A man tried to smuggle his pet turtle through security in Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport by hiding it in a KFC hamburger.

The incident occurred on the morning of July 29, when a man, surnamed Li, was about to board China Southern Airlines flight 345 to Beijing, Guangzhou Daily reported. As Li passed through airport security, X-ray screening machines detected a few “odd protrusions” sticking out of a KFC burger that the man had packed in his bag.

Airport staff determined that the protrusions looked suspiciously like turtle limbs, and asked to inspect Li’s luggage.

“There’s no turtle in there, just a hamburger,” Li reportedly insisted. “There’s nothing special to see inside.”

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Source: scmp.com

In Pictures: A failed wildlife smuggling attempt

No End To Illegal Animal Trafficking 

 (ANIMAL TRAFFICKING) As affluence spreads and transport and trade links improve worldwide, the cases of illegal animal trafficking continue to rise. In particular, there is a soaring demand from China and other parts of Asia for rare and endangered animals and animal products. Although there has been an increase in in the past year of officials intercepting animal traffickers due to better customs checks, the sheer number of trafficking cases implies the globalization of wildlife trade has only picked up. Read more at Global Animal

 

FISH SKIRT: A woman on a flight from Singapore to Melbourne shows the 51 live tropical fish hidden in a specially designed apron under her skirt in this 2005 handout photograph from the Australian Customs Service. Customs officers became suspicious after hearing “flipping” noises coming from the vicinity of her waist, and an examination revealed 15 plastic water-filled bags holding concealed fish. (Reuters)

FROG FILM: This 2004 photo released by Belgian police shows exotic frogs from Panama that were discovered by customs officials in film boxes at Brussels national airport. More than 500 amphibian creatures were smuggled into the country by two Belgian citizens to sell on the black market at about 150 euros each. (Reuters/Ho/Belgian Customs Authorities)

PIGEON PANTS: Live pigeons are pictured, stuffed into the tights of a man, at Melbourne International Airport in this 2009 picture released by Australian Customs. The man, a passenger on a flight from Dubai, was discovered with a live pigeon stuffed in each leg of his tights, as well as two bird eggs, plant seeds and undeclared samples of eggplant after a search by customs and border control officers and was handed over to Australian Quarantine and Inspection Services staff, according to local media. (Reuters/Australian Customs/Handout)

A body search revealed the man was carrying 14 baby pythons in socks taped to his chest

Sneaky plan: The man was arrested for smuggling pythons and lizards strapped to his legs and chest

Detained suspect Sony Dong, with songbirds strapped to his legs at Los Angeles International Airport. He was arrested as he tried to walk out the airport and officials noticed feathers

Peregrine eggs in socks recovered from an egg smuggling operation at Birmingham Airport

A live tiger cub was found drugged and hidden among stuffed-tiger toys in the luggage of a woman at Bangkok's airport,

A man has been sentenced to 16 months imprisonment after he was caught trying to smuggle parrot eggs into Australia -- in a specially made T-shirt.

Photo:Reuters Australian native geckos concealed in a hollowed out book which were seized by Customs officials are seen in the handout photo.

A small bird that was found taped to a passengers’ leg is wrapped in a sock and tape

 

Photo:Reuters Handout image shows one of two live 40cm-long (16 inches) juvenile emerald green tree boas that Australian customs officials seized at the Melbourne International Mail Centre

Customs and Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service officers have foiled two  attempts to smuggle snakes and lizards into Australia through the mail.two snakes and three lizards were concealed in the hollow areas of three ceramic garden gnomes. In the second attempt, five snakes and five lizards were hidden in pottery figures and ornaments.

An air passenger has been caught trying to smuggle more than a dozen live hummingbirds inside his pants. The tiny birds were discovered hidden in special pouches sewn inside the Dutchman's pants at Rochambeau airport in Cayenne, French Guiana.

Underpants containing bird eggs seized by Customs officers at Sydney Airport on 15 October

Bird egg vest seized by Customs officers at Sydney Airport on 16 October

Customs finds 52 smuggled bird eggs on passenger body

Penang - NINETY-FOUR pangolins believed to be bound for the cooking pots in the region were seized by the authorities at the cargo complex in Batu Maung, Penang. The importer had shipped the animals in boxes from Sabah and declared them as crabs.

Penang -  A shipment declared as papayas was found to contain hundreds of cobras and freshwater turtles worth some RM110,000 (S$45,000) meant for the cooking pot in Hong Kong.