Man Arrested over Attempt to Smuggle Lizards Into Japan
Police said the suspect admitted the smuggling charge after customs found the reptiles hidden in socks and T-shirts in his suitcase.
- On Wednesday, Tokyo's Metropolitan Police Department arrested 23-year-old Daniel Isaac Velasco Baltazar after he allegedly attempted to smuggle 200 lizards into Japan through Haneda Airport on Saturday.
- Police received an anonymous tip in late July suggesting Baltazar planned the smuggling; The Tokyo Customs officers discovered the animals squeezed into 22 pairs of socks and T-shirts during inspection.
- The shipment included rare Mexican alligator lizards, valued at around 100,000 each in Japan, with Cross-border trade restricted under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species.
- Baltazar admitted to importing the animals without Government permission in violation of the Customs Act, and reportedly told investigators he purchased them in Mexico for roughly 560 to 750 each.
- Authorities are investigating other species found in the suitcase as trade of such Wild Fauna remains strictly controlled under International regulations.
15 Articles
15 Articles
At least one lizard was dead when the bag was opened.
Man Arrested After 200 Lizards Found Hidden in Socks Inside Suitcase at Tokyo Airport
In a bizarre and brazen wildlife smuggling attempt that has shocked customs authorities worldwide, a 23-year-old Mexican national was arrested at Tokyo's Haneda Airport after officers uncovered roughly 200 live reptiles crammed into 22 pairs of socks and rolled-up T-shirts inside his suitcase. The suspect, identified as Daniel Isaac Velasco Baltazar, arrived on a flight from South Korea following an anonymous tip received by Tokyo police warning…
A Mexican was arrested by Japanese authorities at Haneda airport, Tokyo, after discovering that he was trying to smuggle a mega lizard into the country, a total of 200 "dragoncitos" hidden in his luggage; this last Saturday, August 08, when customs agents inspected the suspect's suitcase and found the reptiles imprisoned within 22 pairs of socks.
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