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Leapin’ Lizards! Reptile Smuggler Arrested at LAX

Airlines & Airports, Australia & New Zealand, Passports & Customs — on November 24, 2009 2:03 pm

Leapin’ Lizards!Federal officials have arrested a man who tried to pass through customs at Los Angeles International Airport armed to the teeth—with 15 live lizards.

U.S. Customs agents detained the cold-blooded reptile runner and found two geckos, two monitor lizards and 11 skinks strapped to his chest. The 40-year-old California man was returning from Australia.

Officials say the lizards tip the scales at roughly $8,500. Smuggling illegal wildlife into the United States is a felony with a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Australian reptiles in particular are closely monitored.

A non-stop flight from Australia to Los Angeles is usually in the ballpark of 14 hours, which means the man likely spent that entire time with 15 live lizards squirming on his torso.

By Dan Bence for Petergreenberg.com.

Related links: MSNBC, KTLA

Peter Greenberg links:

  • Anonymous

    Next thing that needs doing is ridding “Oz” of all the imported exotic pests, from camels to fire ants (how’d they get there?) that have been inflicted on “the (un)lucky country”. Some of them, like feral pigs and cane toads (as well as the infamous rabbits; I think they got resistant to myxomytosis) have become a terrible nuisance. (and Hawaii’s got feral pigs–and on & on).