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A female traveler from Brazil who was en route to Sao Paulo through Panama has been accused of trafficking wildlife. Authorities seized 130 Harlequin frogs from her luggage.
The suspected smuggler was apprehended by authorities on Monday (January 29th) at Bogota’s El Dorado International Airport. The toxic creatures were found packaged in small film canisters.
Authorities stated that the amphibians, which are commonly referred to as poison-dart frogs, were found to be in a state of dehydration and experiencing stress.
A total of 130 Harlequin frogs were discovered within small plastic containers.
The Harlequin frogs, which are highly toxic and reside in Central and South America, are classified as a critically endangered species. Their poisonous skin glands can be fatal to small animals and predators, such as birds.
Based on statements from Juan Carlos Arevalo, the leader of Bogotá’s police force, the frogs hold a value of $1,000 (£780) each and are in high demand among private collectors from around the world.
Officials believe that the woman transported approximately $130,000 (£102,707) worth of illegal frogs during her trip to Brazil.
The length of the toxic red and blue frogs typically reaches 4.8cm.
The Secretary of Environment in Bogota stated, according to AFP.
According to Adriana Soto, the environment secretary of Bogotá, the woman stated that the small Harlequin frogs, which were less than 5cm long, were given to her as a “present” from a community in the south of Colombia.
Possessing the lively animals could result in the unnamed woman facing charges of up to 56 million pesos (£11,300).
This is not the initial occasion in which valuable wildlife has been illegally transported across international borders, worth thousands of dollars.
In 2022, a man admitted to being guilty of two charges of smuggling and one charge of wildlife trafficking for illegally importing 1,700 animals into the United States.
Jose Manuel Perez imported reptiles from Mexico to the US, consisting of turtles, lizards, and crocodiles with a value of no less than $730,000.
A Russian visitor who was detained in Bali alleged that he received a protected primate as a pet after being caught trying to smuggle a sedated orangutan in his luggage in 2019.
Andrei Zhestkov was captured at Ngurah Rai International Airport while carrying a sleeping two-year-old monkey in a basket made of rattan.
Source: independent.co.uk
