Heavy jail sentence handed down to reptile smuggler

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herptrader

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This one nearly slipped by my radar.

3 and a half years in the slammer for importing stuff, much of which is easily obtained here.

http://www.customs.gov.au/site/page.cfm?c=6685


customs media release
Heavy jail sentence handed down to reptile smuggler - Wednesday, 25th January 2006

A 40-year-old man has been sentenced to three and a half years imprisonment in the Brisbane District court today for attempting to import reptiles.

Mr Katsuhide Naito pleaded guilty after being charged by Customs with importing regulated live specimens without a permit under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 and importing endangered specimens.

Customs officers at Brisbane International Airport found the 39 exotic reptiles when they examined the bags of a 40-year-old Japanese man arriving from Singapore via Thailand on 22 August 2005.

On opening the man's cabin bag, Customs officers were surprised to see something wriggling - six snakes, four in clear plastic containers and two in shampoo bottles.

A subsequent examination of a second piece of luggage, conducted with the assistance of a Quarantine officer certified in handling reptiles, revealed a menagerie of wildlife.

Customs found a further 33 reptiles, including green tree pythons, albino pythons, iguanas, frilled-neck dragons, slider turtles, and tree monitors concealed in speaker boxes and food containers in the bag.

Several of the animals did not survive and the remainder were later destroyed by the Australian Quarantine Inspection Service.

A Customs spokesperson said that this sentence sent a strong message to anyone considering involvement in the cruel practise of wildlife trafficking.
 
Here is the press release from the original siezure:

http://www.customs.gov.au/site/page.cfm?u=4232&c=6004

and a token "Happy Snap":
050822_reptileREL.jpg
 
;-) I have been away for a couple of days and only checked the "Web Links" forum which is where this kind of post usually goes.

An interesting data point on the sentancing for this sort of offence though. Manslaughter sentances have been shorter though I suspect this guy will do well short of the maximum sentace.

I wonder if he had any priors?

Hix said:
herptrader said:
This one nearly slipped by my radar.

But it didn't slip by ours....... :lol:

http://www.aussiepythons.com/PNphpBB2-viewtopic-t-15620-highlight-customs.html

:p

Hix
 
Herptrader,
I read in 2 news sources - He will be released in October this year. 3 1/2yrs reduced to 9 mths for good behaviour, time served etc.
Cheers
Ad
 
Yeah, he didn't even try to smuggle on liddle iddy biddy reptile into jail so they thought he was now a model citizen.
 
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