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Aviation News Item: 04489
27th Jan 2010
German Man Attempts To Smuggle 44 Lizards ... In His Pants
Source: aero-news.net
 Will Spend Some Time In A New Zealand Jail For His Trouble
Airport security officials at Christchurch International Airport in New Zealand didn't need a full body scanner to detect something was wrong with a German passenger attempting to board an international flight. The man had 44 small lizards sewn into a package hidden in his underwear.
We'll wait for you to stop giggling.
The geckos and skinks are protected species in New Zealand, and the passenger, 58-year-old Hans Kurt Kubus admitted he was trading in exploited species without a permit and hunting absolutely protected wildlife without authority. He pleaded guilty to two charges under the Wildlife Act and five under the Trade in Endangered Species Act.
According to the Associated Press, Kubus will spend 14 weeks in jail in New Zealand, and pay a fine of $3,540. He will be immediately deported to Germany on completion of his sentence. He could have been jailed for up to six months and fined $355,000, so it appears he got off fairly easy.
The lizards could have brought $2,800 each on the European market.
Kubus had traveled to New Zealand multiple times over the past few years, including once in 2008 with a Swiss reptile dealer. Authorities say it is more likely he planned to keep the lizards in a personal collection rather than sell them.
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