Man held at Malaysian airport with 100 live reptiles in his bag

August 31st, 2010 - 7:51 pm ICT by Aishwarya Bhatt  

Kuala Lumpur, Aug 31 (THAINDIAN NEWS) Authorities at the Malaysia airport were dismayed when they came across 100 live reptiles in the bag of a man who has already been found guilty and convicted of smuggling wildlife 9 years back in the US, according to the Wildlife and National Parks Department of Malaysia.

The smuggler - Anson Wong was on his way to Jakarta on a Malaysian Airlines flight when he was caught at Kuala Lumpur airport after the his plane made a stop over. He became suspicious after his bag broke even though it was on a conveyor belt. The bag contained 95 Boa Constrictors, 2 rhinoceros vipers and 1 matamata turtle.

It ought to be mentioned that the boa constrictors are regarded as endangered species and they are therefore banned from being traded commercially as stated in International Trade regulations.

The department, in a statement issued late on Saturday, said its enforcement officers found 95 boa constrictors, two rhinoceros vipers and a matamata turtle inside the luggage.

Wong will be kept in custody for two days more and be arranged before a Malaysian court. He could be sentenced to a 7-year jail term, or be fined $32,000 for each animal or both.

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