- The reptiles’ market value is estimated at $1.2 million.
- Police arrested three men and a woman in Sydney.
- Police launched a task force in September following the interception of 59 live lizards.
Authorities claim to have “dismantled” a criminal syndicate that allegedly planned the illegal export of hundreds of native lizards from Australia to Hong Kong. New South Wales Police estimate the reptiles’ market value at $1.2 million (£633,000; $805,000).
In Sydney, police arrested three men and a woman, and seized 257 lizards and three snakes allegedly kept in poor conditions. After treatment, they released the reptiles back into the wild.
In September, police launched a task force to investigate the alleged smugglers following the interception of 59 live lizards in nine small containers en route to Hong Kong. Over the past few weeks, officers conducted raids in New South Wales.
While searching a Sydney home, they confiscated 118 lizards, three snakes, eight eggs, and 25 dead lizards. Additionally, a property in rural Grenfell revealed four lizards hidden in bags.
The four suspects, aged between 31 and 59, face charges including exporting native reptiles, dealing with the proceeds of crime, and participating in a criminal group.
Conviction could lead to up to 15 years in prison. Two men were denied bail after a court appearance over the weekend.
According to the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), Hong Kong has become a dominant force in the international trade of exotic animals in recent decades.
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