Some people are feeling down, others are feeling down.
This Friday, French customs services revealed that a man coming from Germany was checked on February 11 by Paris customs officers at the Gare de l'Est.
In his socks, the individual had hidden around twenty live reptiles.
Fijian iguanas, horned lizards.
Species protected by the Washington Convention, threatened with extinction.
Once the customs procedure was completed, the man, who was also carrying an undeclared sum of cash, was handed over to the Paris judicial police.
For animal trafficking offenses, the city prosecutor's office referred the matter to the French Biodiversity Office (OFB).
The specimens found in the luggage were placed in a specialized animal center, adapted to their needs.
In their press release, the customs services indicate that each year, wildlife trafficking generates enormous profits: between 8 and 20 billion euros.
This places it fourth among the most profitable trafficking sectors, behind drug trafficking, human trafficking and the arms trade.
In 2022, customs intercepted 52,506 protected specimens, including 397 live animals, including 60 reptiles, 41 turtles, 137 birds, 10 snakes and 256 kilos of glass eels - baby eels threatened with extinction.