Mexican man arrested over attempt to smuggle some 200 lizards into Japan
The 23-year-old Mexican national has admitted to the allegations, which involved some 200 lizards hidden in dozens of socks inside a suitcase.
Tokyo police have arrested a 23-year-old Mexican man accused of attempting to smuggle around 200 lizards into Japan by hiding them in socks inside a suitcase, according to officials. Daniel Isaac Velasco Baltazar, whose residence and occupation are undisclosed, admitted to the offense of attempting to import the lizards without proper permission, police disclosed.
Baltazar allegedly tried to bring the lizards, including nine Mexican alligator lizards, into Japan from South Korea without declaring them at customs on Saturday. The International commercial trade of Mexican alligator lizards is tightly regulated under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora.
In July, Tokyo police received an anonymous tip that Baltazar was attempting to smuggle lizards ahead of a reptiles exhibition and sales event. As a precaution, Customs officers at Haneda Airport, on alert, inspected his suitcase and discovered the lizards concealed within 22 pairs of socks. One of the lizards was found dead.
The suspect reportedly told investigators that he had purchased the lizards in Mexico at a price range of approximately ¥560 ($3.50) to ¥750 each. Mexican alligator lizards, endemic to alpine regions of Mexico, are scarce in Japan and can fetch around ¥100,000 per specimen. The lizards found in the suitcase appeared to be of various species, and authorities are conducting further investigations into the matter.
Written by urgent.news from Japan Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — it may contain errors, so check the original before relying on it.
