# Why isit so easy to smuggle reptiles?



## Joe1507 (Aug 11, 2008)

Ok so Theres always a post on here about someone going abroad and bringing back a reptile by accident usually jammed in the suitcase.

so Im thinking if the airport security dont pick up on it / dont care the nwhy not get a few lizards abroad put them inbetween ur clothes and bring them home? could easily be done if your caught say it mustve crawled in there....

Lol yes I know its cruel and unfair on the lizard im just saying it could be eay to smuggle reptiles.


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## monitorfan666 (Feb 15, 2007)

i was thinking about this the other day actually, does look pretty easy haha


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## Joe1507 (Aug 11, 2008)

couldnt over do it, come back with a whole suitcase of reptiles and get caught "yeah i dont know how they got in, mustve crawled in..."


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## alan1 (Nov 11, 2008)

Joe1507 said:


> couldnt over do it, come back with a whole suitcase of reptiles and get caught "yeah i dont know how they got in, mustve crawled in..."


yeah, all packaged and cellotaped up... :roll2:


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## Ssthisto (Aug 31, 2006)

Joe1507 said:


> could easily be done if your caught say it mustve crawled in there....
> 
> Lol yes I know its cruel and unfair on the lizard im just saying it could be eay to smuggle reptiles.


Sure, if you're willing to risk the lizards being crushed in the cargo hold (or half-frozen) and unpacking them to find oh look, you've got a stylish and stinking stenodactylus bookmark....

It isn't worth the risk *to the animal*.

If they found it in your luggage when you got back to these lovely shores, there's a reasonable chance it'd just wind up being put down, too.


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## Joe1507 (Aug 11, 2008)

It could be done easily, put alot of padding around the suitcase, get it custom made Lol.

Im off to the carribean next week, im taking orders for reptiles, you get 75% off the retail price, what ya want?

:lolsign: nah I wouldnt want to risk the health of the reptile and im not really of to the carribean.


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## Barney_M (Apr 2, 2008)

get a thick book.... cut a hle in it through the poaged but not front and bckcover put it in there witha heat pack and seletape it shut.. leavee a hold or 2 for breathing of course


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## Joe1507 (Aug 11, 2008)

tis a good idea, lets smuggle a burmese python XD


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## Ssthisto (Aug 31, 2006)

Barney_M said:


> get a thick book.... cut a hle in it through the poaged but not front and bckcover put it in there witha heat pack and seletape it shut.. leavee a hold or 2 for breathing of course


Watch the heat pack cook AND suffocate whatever you put in it...

No, it isn't "easy" to smuggle reptiles. People whose luggage is invaded, that's one thing - but if there's any hint that it might have been intentional, you're looking at fines and/or jail time.


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## sean k (Dec 20, 2007)

Barney_M said:


> get a thick book.... cut a hle in it through the poaged but not front and bckcover put it in there witha heat pack and seletape it shut.. leavee a hold or 2 for breathing of course


sounds as though you are an expert and have done this before?? lol lol
joking. lol

:lol2:


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## ukgeckos (Apr 11, 2007)

It is supprisingly easy.
A lady near me smuggled 2 torts in her bra from egypt and just ensured that she didnt have any metal on her to get beeped and padded down.
Then you have 2 very cheap egyptian tortoises!
I also know of a shop owner who carries hundreds of animals in their suitcase in a tuppaware box with different sections (like a fishing box)
They have taken in most of the UK's collection of a certain gecko species this way.

I know this person doesn't take the animals welfare into account and admits he does loose some but the numbers he brings in makes it worthwhile when he sells single specimins for £70 each gecko

Its a terrible way of making money but some people just think about the £!


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## Punchfish (Jun 13, 2008)

I know I shouldn't laugh, but I find that really quite funny. Must have had funny looking boobs.


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## sean k (Dec 20, 2007)

*tortoises*

my friends aunty brought a tortoises back from holiday in her bra.lol, would scream if it bit your nipple. lol lol


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## leopardgeckomad (Feb 2, 2008)

sean k said:


> my friends aunty brought a tortoises back from holiday in her bra.lol, would scream if it bit your nipple. lol lol


lol,,, wot a funny topic lol,


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## exoticsandtropics (Mar 11, 2007)

sean k said:


> sounds as though you are an expert and have done this before?? lol lol
> joking. lol
> 
> :lol2:


there are a number of 'specialist and famous' hobbiyists/ retailers that have done this in the uk . some with species that are on sale over here ut have never actually EVER been exported. thats when you run into problems!


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## Joe1507 (Aug 11, 2008)

Its even easyer bringing things back from france!

I live on the coast just opposite france, you can actually see it on clear days its like 20 miles away.
I live right by eurotunnel so I was thinking could drive over to france nab some french herps and put them under the car seat then come back 

Its rarely that customs even bother checking cars seeing as thousands go over for daytrips every day and bring back loads of alchohol...
and when tyhey do check they dont bother looking properly, might go get some fire salamanders or something Lol.


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## Ssthisto (Aug 31, 2006)

Natural England - European Protected Species ?

What's wrong with simply doing it CORRECTLY and buying *captive-bred* specimens - even if you then transport them over from France?


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## Spikebrit (Oct 23, 2006)

Ssthisto said:


> If they found it in your luggage when you got back to these lovely shores, there's a reasonable chance it'd just wind up being put down, too.


Actually any reptile thats found in suitcases from holidays ends up going to rescues. I think most of the small reptiles found in suitcases in stoke end up in my colelction as im conected with a few rescues that get them in then pass them to me. 

I have some lovly specimiums. 

To those that want to smuggle, why dont you go and buy them from breaders and bring them over rather then taken them from the wild. As remeber alot of species are protected my the EPS, so if you get cought with them they will be destroyed unless you have the paperwork.

jay


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## Joe1507 (Aug 11, 2008)

Ssthisto said:


> Natural England - European Protected Species ?
> 
> What's wrong with simply doing it CORRECTLY and buying *captive-bred* specimens - even if you then transport them over from France?


Lol I dont know I just had the idea of going through the effort and money of traveling to france when its cheaper and safer for me and the animal to buy from shop :|


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## Joe1507 (Aug 11, 2008)

Spikebrit said:


> Actually any reptile thats found in suitcases from holidays ends up going to rescues. I think most of the small reptiles found in suitcases in stoke end up in my colelction as im conected with a few rescues that get them in then pass them to me.
> 
> I have some lovly specimiums.
> 
> ...


Whats in your collection?


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## Spikebrit (Oct 23, 2006)

Joe1507 said:


> Whats in your collection?


some lovly lizards that are the only ones of their kind in the UK


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## sean k (Dec 20, 2007)

*lizards*

what are these lizards????


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## Joe1507 (Aug 11, 2008)

yeah, what are they? what other interesting species you got, got any pics?


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## Spikebrit (Oct 23, 2006)

One of the species is Iberolacerta cyreni, which came over in a guys luggage from spain. To the best of mine and various others hunting we dont know of any other in the uk. Though if anyone can find me a male i'd bite your hand off for it. 

Jay


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## tryme (Apr 2, 2008)

I have a friend in cyprus atm who has seen a lot of turkish geckos and he is very tempted to try and bring one back. What would be the chances of putting on in a sock and attaching it to a non conspicuous place on his body and getting away with it be?


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## Spikebrit (Oct 23, 2006)

tryme said:


> I have a friend in cyprus atm who has seen a lot of turkish geckos and he is very tempted to try and bring one back. What would be the chances of putting on in a sock and attaching it to a non conspicuous place on his body and getting away with it be?


My question would be why

You can uy turkish house geckos for about £8 over here. Smuggling means you face imprissment, large fines etc, along with rsking the health of the gecko. 

Jay


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## Ratmandocymru (Sep 28, 2009)

Spikebrit said:


> My question would be why
> 
> 
> Jay


i echo the above, why risk an animals life plus your freedom? i would much rather pay thegoing rate for an animal knowing its free of "nasties" and feeding ok etc than getting a smuggled animal, if theres an animal i want thats not availible over here its normally for a good reason.


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## MrMorelia (Apr 15, 2011)

tryme said:


> I have a friend in cyprus atm who has seen a lot of turkish geckos and he is very tempted to try and bring one back. What would be the chances of putting on in a sock and attaching it to a non conspicuous place on his body and getting away with it be?


About the same chance he will win the lottery.

Your friend is a dohnut.


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## Nodders (May 11, 2009)

Barney_M said:


> get a thick book.... cut a hle in it through the poaged but not front and bckcover put it in there witha heat pack and seletape it shut.. leavee a hold or 2 for breathing of course


Customs removes said reptile from the book and smacks the smuggler upside the head with said book .

: victory:


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## Ste123 (Apr 30, 2011)

The problem is the difficulty in getting various reptiles in the UK meaning some People will try and smuggle and some shops will
Smuggle to be able to sell a wide range of herps which will bring in customers with big pockets full of cash.


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## tryme (Apr 2, 2008)

Ok what website etc would sell these


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## Ssthisto (Aug 31, 2006)

tryme said:


> Ok what website etc would sell these


Ask your local reptile shops if they can get one in for you - being as you've listed your location as London, there are some pretty well-known shops in the area.


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## hugsta (Jul 4, 2010)

i used to smuggle inverts in from africa and spain when i was little and i never got cought !


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