At Istanbul’s Sabiha Gökçen Airport, customs officers detained a passenger who was trying to smuggle illegal crocodiles and lizards into Türkiye.
Oku.Az “Haber Global” reports that the Turkish Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry has published information in this regard.
It was noted that during the inspection of the passenger’s luggage from Egypt, 17 Nile crocodiles and 10 Nile lizards (one of the largest lizards) were found.
The detainee did not have any document that would allow the animals to enter the country. According to him, he was taking them to the province of Hatay, on the border with Syria.
“The live animals were detained by ministry representatives,” the ministry said. It is unclear what action was taken against the smuggler and when the incident occurred.
