Say "cheese".
Posted on 09/24/2003 4:09:29 PM PDT by Willie Green
For education and discussion only. Not for commercial use.
SYDNEY (Reuters) - A Swedish man has been charged after Australian customs officers found eight dangerous snakes, including four dead king cobras, strapped to his leg after he arrived on a flight from Thailand, officials said on Wednesday.
Australian customs spokesman Chris Schofield said the four king cobras were found dead in containers strapped to the man's calves when he was searched after arriving in Sydney on Monday.
Likely to be hatchlings or babies, they had probably died in transit, he said.
"That's one of the issues concerning fauna smuggling, as well as the quarantine and environmental issues at this end," Schofield told Reuters.
The other four live snakes, which were believed to be emerald tree boas, had been handed over to quarantine authorities and were awaiting identification by experts, he said.
Customs Minister Chris Ellison said a 28-year-old Swedish national had been charged under Australia's Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Act. If convicted he faces a fine of A$110,000 ($75,000) or up to 10 years in jail, or both.
The man's motive for smuggling the snakes was not immediately clear but there is a trade in animals such as snakes, birds and rare plants, both in and out of Australia.
Deadly king cobras, which belong to a different genus from cobras and are capable of killing an elephant, are found across Asia from northern India to southern China and Indonesia and can grow up to 16 feet long.
Regards,
TS
Say "cheese".
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