Two wildlife smugglers caught in W. Australia
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Xinhua, July 1, 2011
Two wildlife smugglers have been arrested in Perth in a joint operation between the Australian Customs Services and the Department of Environment and Conservation (DEC) of Western Australia (WA), DEC said on Thursday.
WA Environment Minister Bill Marmion on Thursday congratulated the agencies for the successful operation carried out on Wednesday night.
The arrest of the couple ended a 12-week investigation by the DEC and Customs officers, Marmion said in a statement on Thursday.
"The close co-operation between the agencies has led to a further disruption in the wildlife smuggling trade that can be worth millions of dollars," he said.
Prior to their arrest, the Hong Kong couple had allegedly made several attempts to send more than 18 skinks and bobtail lizards, which belong to the blue-tongue family, overseas by concealing them inside teddy bears.
During the past three months, the Customs officers intercepted six packages at the Perth mail center.
The minister said a total of 31 animals had been seized over the 12-week period, including 24 bobtails, six crevice skinks and one sand swimmer.
"The success of this operation sends a strong warning to people that if you attempt to smuggle wildlife out of Western Australia, the chances of getting caught are very good indeed," Marmion said.
The senior wildlife investigator of DEC, Rick Dawson, said the lizards were worth up to 7,500 AU dollars (8,025 U.S. dollars) on the Asian black market.
"While common in WA, these lizards are highly sought after in Asia because they are easy to care for, attractive and exotic," Dawson said on Thursday.
