Authorities in Ecuador seize 32 marine iguanas at the airport and arrest a Russian woman
Authorities said the 32 vulnerable reptiles were packed in eight plastic containers and moved to a conservation center for treatment.
- On Saturday, police arrested a Russian woman at the Quito airport for attempting to smuggle at least 32 marine iguanas from the Galapagos Islands in her suitcase while traveling to Iceland.
- Located 620 miles west of Ecuador in the Pacific Ocean, the Galapagos Islands are an endemic habitat for marine iguanas that UNESCO declared a National Heritage of Humanity in 1979.
- Ecuador's Ministry of Environment reported the iguanas were dehydrated and feeble; veterinarians transferred them to a conservation center where they will remain until their health improves.
- Police confirmed they intend to charge the woman with wildlife trafficking; if found guilty, she could face up to three years in prison under South American law.
- Repeat offenders face penalties up to $25,000, reflecting the strict environmental protections enforced across the archipelago to preserve its endemic species.
30 Articles
30 Articles
A Russian woman was detained at the airport in the capital of Ecuador, Quito, who tried to carry dozens of endemic iguanas from the Galapagos Islands in her luggage, Ecuadorian police said. “In Quito, Ecuadorian police found 32 specimens of marine iguanas from the Galapagos Islands in the luggage of a Russian citizen,” the police said in a statement. The woman is suspected of illegal wildlife trafficking. The operation to detain her was carried …
Algemeen Dagblad
A Russian woman suspected of attempting to smuggle at least 32 marine iguanas out of Ecuador from the Galapagos Islands was arrested on Saturday, authorities in the South American country announced.
Associated Press News
Authorities in Ecuador seize 32 marine iguanas at the airport and arrest a Russian woman
Authorities in Ecuador say they have arrested a Russian woman accused of trying to smuggle at least 32 marine iguanas from the Galapagos Islands out of the South American country.
The Ministry of Environment and Energy (MAE) reported this Saturday that it provides specialized attention to 32 marine iguanas of Galapagos (Amlyrhynchus cristatus), endemic species...
Illegal transport of iguanas is prohibited and constitutes an offence.
At Quito airport, law enforcement officers detained a Russian citizen whose luggage contained 32 young sea iguanas from the Galapagos Islands, and the animals were hidden in eight plastic containers inside the suitcase.
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