Man arrested after 14 endangered reptiles found in Kwai Chung industrial site
Chinese water dragon, rock iguana, crocodile, two pythons, three monitor lizards and four species of turtles were seized in operation
Hong Kong authorities arrested a man after the discovery of 14 endangered reptiles, including a crocodile and two pythons, at an industrial site in Kwai Chung.
A spokesman for the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department said on Wednesday evening that officers arrested the man in a blitz operation the previous night.
“The AFCD will remain vigilant and continue to monitor and collect intelligence through various channels and proactively take enforcement action to combat offences involving endangered species,” the spokesman said.
The department took action on Tuesday following a complaint that some endangered animals were kept inside an industrial building in Kwai Chung.
During the operation, officers found a rock iguana, a crocodile, two pythons, three monitor lizards, and a Chinese water dragon.
Six turtles – a big-headed turtle, three Indochinese box turtles, a black-breasted leaf turtle and a keeled box turtle – were also found on the premises.
The man was intercepted on-site and arrested on suspicion of possessing endangered species listed under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora.