A surprising find to say the least.
Sunday February 11, at Gare de l'Est, agents of the Paris Nord surveillance brigade discovered no less than 21 reptiles hidden in the luggage of a traveler coming from Germany, reported Friday, in a press release, French customs.
It was by searching through socks stored in his suitcases that customs officers found, among other things, horned lizards, a species classified as protected, under the Washington Convention on international trade in endangered species of wild fauna.
In another piece of luggage, the agents found a Fijian iguana, also in danger of extinction, as well as an undeclared sum of cash.
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“At the end of the customs procedure, the individual was handed over to the Paris judicial police services on the instructions of the Paris public prosecutor's office, which also referred the matter to the French Biodiversity Office (OFB) for offenses relating to animal trafficking,” customs officers specify.
The animals were placed in a competent animal center to ensure their well-being.
Traffic that generates between 8 and 20 billion euros
Animal trafficking is a scourge taken very seriously by French customs.
In 2022, the authorities made 423 findings leading to the seizure of more than 52,700 specimens, including 397 live animals, including 137 birds, 10 snakes and even 41 turtles.
“Each year, wildlife trafficking generates profits estimated between 8 and 20 billion euros, ranking this trafficking fourth in the world in terms of profitability after drug trafficking, human trafficking and arms trade,” specifies the regional customs directorate.
Under the Washington Convention, animal trafficking exposes the offender to a prison sentence of three years and a fine of between one and two times the value of the object of the fraud.
The sentence can reach ten years in prison for acts committed by an organized gang.