By Xinhua
Canberra : Australian Customs officers managed to stop a 62-year-old man, following a tipoff, as he tried to fly out of Australia’s western Perth airport to the United States, Customs said in a statement on Thursday.
While searching his luggage on Tuesday, officers found up to 1,000 tiger beetles concealed inside six plastic containers. These tiger beetles are a native Australian species which cannot be exported without a permit.
“The beetles were contained in glass vials concealed inside five empty yogurt containers,” the statement said.
Customs identified a second man, aged 63, who was found by officers at the airport after they questioned the first man.
Inside his bags, investigators allegedly found a further 200 tiger beetles, up to 100 water beetles and approximately 50 other assorted beetles contained in glass vials and concealed inside five empty yogurt containers.
Both men were arrested by Customs investigators and have been charged with exporting a regulated native species without a permit.
The two Americans face a maximum penalty for the illegal import or export of wildlife at 100,000 dollars (92,000 U.S. dollars) and/or 10 years in jail.
They are due to appear in the Perth Magistrates court on Friday.