# Reptile smugglers flee country



## grimbeny (Apr 12, 2010)

*Published On:* 4-12-2010
*Source:* Berwick Leader

AN ENDEAVOUR Hills couple believed to be behind a major reptile smuggling ring has left the country.

The husband-and wife team - allegedly illegally trading geckos online for $1200 to $10,000 a pair since 2008 - faces fines of up to $24,000 or two years in jail.

Department of Sustainability and Environment investigators raided their Endeavour Hills house on March 26, seizing four geckos, mobile phones, computer notebooks and documents.

But the duo skipped out on an interview with investigators last Monday and boarded a plane to China.

*Go to Original Article*


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## otomix (Apr 13, 2010)

wow..... seems like they felt the full wrath of the law... Go DSE.....

if it were legal for certain amounts of captive bred animals to be exported I''m sure it wouldn't be so lucrative for the bastards.


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## carpetmuncher (Apr 13, 2010)

they must have been weally, weally scared. DSE now begging interpol, interpol ROFLAO.


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## naledge (Apr 13, 2010)

They would've only gotten a $10 fine, then they would've been given their licenses back, the directions to the nearest dodgey reptile shop and some socks to store their animals in.

They probably just fled because they wanted a holiday or something, DSE are as fearful as a kitten.


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## kupper (Apr 13, 2010)

Falconyi anyone?


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## CodeRed (Apr 13, 2010)

does this have anything to do with the warning on RDU?


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## Jungletrans (Apr 13, 2010)

l would rather they left , never to return than sit in jail for a few months at our expense [ about $500 per day per head ] then go back into buisness .


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## Kurto (Apr 13, 2010)

196 countries in the world and the fled to China? I hope they like rice!


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## JasonL (Apr 13, 2010)

Kurto said:


> 196 countries in the world and the fled to China? I hope they like rice!



Easier to move around from China, as they will be lost in the system as the Chinese Government arn't easy to get info from.


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## mysnakesau (Apr 13, 2010)

Oops, sorry... Kathy logged in on my computer on the weekend and I didn't notice!

J.


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## Pythoninfinite (Apr 13, 2010)

Wow, they seized 4 geckos - that's a breakthrough! I don't condone smuggling, but really, what can one believe in cases like this? The prospective profits are always hugely inflated, the species involved are probably run over in their dozens nightly, without penalty to the runner-overer. There is a huge bureaucratic propaganda machine churning out grossly exaggerated horror stories about incidents like this, and it serves to confirm people in their jobs.

The recent story in WA of 2 'Boa constrictors' being seized, with photos of 3 wildlife officers holding an adult B.c. about 3m long, and the wildlife boss at DECWA stating that Boa constrictors posed as big a threat to the environment as Cane Toads is a case in point. The snakes seized were, in fact, two tiny Solomon Island Boas, no thicker than my little finger., and there is no way any of these things can be likened to Cane Toads as far as environmental impact is concerned. There was no retraction or correction offered when the 'mistakes' were pointed out to them.

As I said, I do not condone smuggling, but the other side needs to lift it's game and present factual arguments before they can be taken seriously.

J.


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## Waterrat (Apr 13, 2010)

Likewise, big headlines in the Cairns Post last year "Snake smuggling ring busted". They confiscated 2 corn snakes (bought in Sydney years ago) after they escaped into the neighbor's back yard and the neighbors dob the owners in. What a successful mission and highly productive bust involving army of QPWS, Customs, Bio-security and Police officers! So far no prosecution.


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## ShadowDragon (Apr 13, 2010)

You're right about the way in which the media tends to exaggerate the story to the point of ridiculousness Pythoninfinite. Sometimes you just have to wonder whether or not journalism in Australia is moving towards the yellow press in America of the late 1800s -early 1900s. However, in this case, wouldn't the smugglers have been failing in their purpose to move the animals on if they were still in their possession? If you're smuggling for profit there's not much profit in holding on to the critters you're supposed to be selling.


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