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🇹🇼 Taiwan /Crime & Justice

Lizard Smuggling Fiasco: 300 Reptiles Detained in Kinmen After Failed China Trip

From Liberty Times · () Chinese

Translated from Chinese, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • A Taiwanese man was caught attempting to smuggle about 300 live lizards from Kinmen to China, but was turned back due to Chinese regulations.
  • The man then tried to bring the lizards back to Kinmen but was stopped by customs officials for lacking proper permits, facing potential destruction of the animals.
  • Separately, another man was apprehended at Kinmen's small three links crossing with approximately 200 geckos, with authorities investigating if they are endangered species.

A Taiwanese man's attempt to smuggle around 300 live lizards to China via Kinmen's small three links route ended in a bizarre round trip. After being denied entry into Xiamen due to regulations, he brought the reptiles back to Kinmen, only to be intercepted by customs for failing to produce necessary permits.

The cross-border smuggling and transportation of live animals has always been accompanied by high epidemic prevention risks.

— Small three links travelerA traveler on the small three links route expressed concern about the risks of live animal smuggling.

The incident, which occurred on June 15, saw the man evade X-ray checks with his luggage containing the lizards. Upon returning to Kinmen on June 16, he was again unable to clear quarantine. The lizards were temporarily held by customs, with their fate uncertain, possibly facing destruction.

We are doing our part and cannot speak to the media.

— Officer, Customs Administration, Ministry of FinanceAn official from the Customs Administration responded to inquiries about the handling of the case.

Adding to the reptilian drama, another individual was caught on June 17 attempting to smuggle about 200 geckos into Kinmen. These geckos are now undergoing species identification to determine if they are protected under wildlife conservation laws.

The live bodies and products of endangered wild animals must not be imported or exported without the consent of the central competent authority.

— Wildlife Conservation Act Article 24, Paragraph 1This quote explains the legal basis for the seizure of the animals.

This series of events has raised concerns among frequent travelers on the small three links route about the ongoing risks associated with cross-border live animal smuggling and the effectiveness of quarantine and customs checks. Officials from the Ministry of Finance's Customs Administration stated they are handling their duties but declined further comment. The Coast Guard Administration acknowledged the lapse in initial export checks and pledged to use the incident for training and improvement.

The competent authority may, if necessary, publicly release, repatriate, collect, or destroy them.

— Wildlife Conservation Act Article 52, Paragraph 2This quote outlines the potential consequences for violating the Wildlife Conservation Act.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Liberty Times in Chinese. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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