Daniel Isaac Velasco Baltazar, a 23-year-old Mexican citizen, was arrested at Tokyo's Haneda Airport after customs officers found 200 live lizards inside his suitcase.
Customs officials at the Tokyo aviation hub discovered the hundreds of reptiles packed inside 22 pairs of socks, which had been wrapped inside a t-shirt. By the time security staff opened the luggage, one lizard had stopped showing signs of life.
According to a report by the Daily Star, Japanese police were already waiting for the traveler when he arrived. Law enforcement officers had received an anonymous tip-off in late July warning of a plan to smuggle reptiles into Japan to sell at a local exhibition.
Police tip-off and confession
Following his arrest, the traveler admitted that he had purchased the lizards in Mexico for $3.50 each, equivalent to about 300 Russian rubles. He stated that he intended to sell each animal in Japan for $630, or roughly 52,000 rubles.
Haneda Airport, officially known as Tokyo International Airport, serves as one of the primary international gateways into Japan. Japanese customs authorities operate strict biosecurity and wildlife trafficking checks to prevent the unlawful entry of exotic species and protected fauna.
Previous airport wildlife seizure
The incident follows a similar wildlife smuggling attempt at an airport in South America, where two passengers were intercepted after hiding live animals inside their clothing.
In that case, a 27-year-old woman and a 26-year-old man drew the attention of security personnel at Rafael Núñez International Airport in Cartagena, Colombia, because of their strange behavior. A search revealed that the couple had stuffed three small monkeys into their underwear while attempting to board a flight.
Rafael Núñez International Airport is the main air terminal serving Cartagena, a historical port city on Colombia's Caribbean coast, where airport security officers routinely monitor departures for illegal contraband and wildlife trafficking.
