Man 'tried to take snakes on a plane'

[MrBredli]

Albino Smuggling Attempt, Busted!!!

Published: 23/2/09
Source: http://www.news.com.au/story/0,27574,25094362-29277,00.html

A MAN has been charged with attempting to smuggle 44 native lizards and snakes on a flight out of Australia, including a rare albino python.

The haul of reptiles allegedly found in the 24-year-old's luggage at Sydney airport on Friday included 24 shingleback lizards, 16 bluetongue lizards and four snakes.

The snakes have been identified as three black headed pythons and an albino carpet python, an extremely endangered species with numbers estimated to be as low as 100.

The albino python is worth about $20,000, while Customs estimates all the reptiles in the smuggling attempt would fetch between $160,000 and $200,000 on the black market.

They were detected during x-ray screenings of the man's luggage after he checked in for a flight to Bangkok.

The reptiles, hidden in socks and cloth bags, were taken to Sydney Wildlife World, where they have undergone health checks and are being cared for.

The man, from Bonnet Bay, has been granted conditional bail to appear in the Downing Centre Local Court on March 24.

He has been charged with attempting to export native species without a permit, which carries a maximum penalty of $110,000 and/or 10 years' jail.

Customs and Border Protection spokesman Richard Janeczko said wildlife smuggling was a serious crime.

"Customs and Border Protection continues to prevent, investigate and prosecute wildlife smuggling attempts into and out of Australia in a bid to end this cruel practice," Mr Janeczko said.

 

[amazonian]

Love it. Hope they get the maximum penalty.

 

[pythons73]

Thats great Customs work,so $20 grand for a albino Carpet,or was it meant to be Darwin python.Is that how much they reckon he wouldve got,or what its worth here.

 

[mark83]

Hope they lock him up.

 

[Kyro]

Love the way the authorities always point out that wildlife smuggling is a serious crime, then all they get is a slap on the wrist

 

[News Bot]

Published: 23-Feb-09 02:28 PM
Source: AAP via NEWS.com.au

A MAN has been charged with attempting to smuggle 44 native lizards and snakes on a flight out of Australia, including a rare albino python.

Read More...

 

[pythons73]

Exactly Kyro,more than likely a small fine,The courts should start to set a example and start fining them heavy,and maybe jail time.

 

[Veredus]

albino carpet python, an extremely endangered species with numbers estimated to be as low as 100.

Wow, I was unaware these were given status as a separate species of snake, nor that they were listed as endangered :lol:

 

[TWENTY B]

Hit him withthefull force of the law,

Enough of these crappy slaps on the wrist.

 

[kel]

ooh oooh sign me up for the ballots

 

[pythoness]

anyone we know? ........... (jk)

 

[amazonian]

ooh oooh sign me up for the ballots

No ballot for an Albino I garuntee it.
I am sure Taronga or Australia Zoos will be happy with it (unless it dies in custody of course) :lol:


PS,
If this dude gets off with a petty fine then I am going to attempt it myself.
Worth the risks if your only going to get a measly fine, and I know a few European keepers are keen on some Albino Olives/Carpets & Roughies lol :lol::lol::lol:

 

[herpkeeper]

hang the maggot:evil:
he'll probably get some piss weak fine like that low life who got caught smuggling the greens not too long ago :evil:
laws are far to soft on these scumbags

 

[WombleHerp]

at least get your info right....

Direct Quote:
"The snakes have been identified as three black headed pythons and an albino carpet python, an extremely endangered species with numbers estimated to be as low as 100.

The albino python is worth about $20,000, while Customs estimates all the reptiles in the smuggling attempt would fetch between $160,000 and $200,000 on the black market."

an albino carpet python is just a regular carpet python but a different colour/morph... NOT an endangered species...

BAH

Nat x

 

[WombleHerp]

at least get your info right....

Direct Quote:
"The snakes have been identified as three black headed pythons and an albino carpet python, an extremely endangered species with numbers estimated to be as low as 100.

The albino python is worth about $20,000, while Customs estimates all the reptiles in the smuggling attempt would fetch between $160,000 and $200,000 on the black market."

an albino carpet python is just a regular carpet python but a different colour/morph... NOT an endangered species...

BAH!!


(news bot just got it too http://www.aussiepythons.com/forum/reptile-news/man-tried-to-take-snakes-on-a-plane-104099 )

Nat x

 

[ReptilianGuy]

Wow, I was unaware these were given status as a separate species of snake, nor that they were listed as endangered :lol:

was goin to say the same
:lol:

 

[seumas12345]

The $20g would have been it's value in foreign countries. We all know that someone would have to be on some chronic drugs to pay $20g for an albino darwin in Australia haha

 

[m.punja]

I wouldn't be surprised if they valued it at 20K in aus, i wouldn't be surprised if they valued it higher, they tend to get excited when valuing their finds to make themselves look better. Probably why they used the term endangered for albino carpets and explaining how there is less then 100. Suddenly they are protecting something that is about to become extinct rather then rescuing something that is thriving and only getting bigger and bigger every year.

 

[kel]

No ballot for an Albino I garuntee it.
I am sure Taronga or Australia Zoos will be happy with it (unless it dies in custody of course) :lol:


PS,
If this dude gets off with a petty fine then I am going to attempt it myself.
Worth the risks if your only going to get a measly fine, and I know a few European keepers are keen on some Albino Olives/Carpets & Roughies lol :lol::lol::lol:

yeah yeah i know, but a girl can dream lol, bet they would be overloaded if they did put it in the ballots, i can picture it now, id be happy with a free bhp anyway

 

[BROWNS]

Makes you wonder how many have been smuggled overseas when compared to only a couple of small finds by customs.There have been albino carpets overseas for some time now which I'm sure nobody here would believe they were actually bred there and looks like it's just going to keep happening with the pitiful fines etc handed out where people have been caught smuggling and customs don't seem to care too much obviously and will continue to happen unless someone has been made an example of with huge fines or jail time which should set a precedence to others thinking of smuggling themselves,after all it's barely a slap on the wrist if you do get busted smuggling.

Peees me right off when it's usually people overseas have better looking Australian native reptiles than we have ourselves.There's the albino bhp's which supposedly were bred by a fluke chance which I personally don't believe. There's the albino Darwins which happened to pop up at the right time along with jags etc etc.Anyone who thinks that smuggling in and out of the country is delusional!

I hope they make an extreme example of this person just caught smuggling otherwise more people are going to keep smuggling and others thinking about it when they see the insignificant fines given previously and it doesn't matter if it's a stumpy or albino carpet they are still Australian native reptiles and people involved in this are breaking the law and deserve more serious reprisals for trying to smuggle Australian reptiles and getting caught should not recieve a tiny fine which was given to the recent bust of smuggling a green python from overseas.They should never be able to have a licence again however I'm sure the person busted with the green still has his licence as well as his reptile collection! All of this makes you wonder how many have actually been smuggled into Australia without customs finding out and have made it onto the books making them legal?????????????SCUM BAGS!!!!!!!!