19/04/25 16:23:58.98 ZEhXFvCW0.net
ABF officers find 19 lizards in passenger’s luggage at Melbourne Airport
URLﾘﾝｸ(newsroom.abf.gov.au)
23-04-2019 -
A 27-year-old Japanese national has been arrested by Australian Border Force (ABF) officers at Melbourne International Airport allegedly attempting to smuggle 19 native reptiles out of Australia in her suitcase.
The woman was targeted by ABF Officers as she attempted to depart for Japan, after the ABF and Department of the Environment and Energy acted on information from ABF’s international presence in Hong Kong.
It will be alleged an x-ray of her suitcase and subsequent examination revealed 17 Shingle Back lizards and two Blue Tongue lizards tightly packed inside two mesh packages.
The woman was arrested and charged under section 303DD (1) of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999.
She did not apply for bail and will appear in the Melbourne Magistrate’s Court tomorrow (24 April 2019).
The maximum penalty for these offences is 10 years imprisonment or a fine of $210,000.
The lizards were seized by ABF officers and referred to the Victorian Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP).