NSW Police say that Raptor Squad detectives have dismantled a criminal syndicate allegedly attempting to export over $1m worth of Australian native lizards and reptiles to Hong Kong.
Strike Force Whyaratta was established in September 2023 by State Crime Command’s Raptor Squad – with assistance from the Federal Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water and NSW Department of Planning and Environment – to investigate illegal native animal and reptile exports after nine packages containing 59 live lizards were intercepted on their way to Hong Kong.
Following extensive inquiries, in December 2023, strike force officers executed a search warrant at an address in Pendle Hill where they arrested a 41-year-old woman.
She was taken to Granville Police Station, where she was charged with six counts of export regulated native specimen without permit/exemption and granted conditional bail to appear before Parramatta Local Court on Tuesday 23 January 2024.
On Thursday 28 December 2023, strike force officers executed a search warrant in Pendle Hill where they arrested a 54-year-old man.
He was taken to Granville Police Station, where he was charged with four counts of export regulated native specimen without permit/exemption, deal with property proceeds of crime < $100,000 and participate in a criminal group.
The man was refused bail and appeared in Parramatta Local Court on Friday 29 December 2023, where he was granted conditional bail to reappear at the same court on Tuesday 16 January 2024.
During subsequent search warrants in Pendle Hill, police located 16 native lizards and eggs in a box addressed to Hong Kong. A further 60 native lizards were located in a storage room.
On Friday 29 December 2023, strike force officers stopped a vehicle in Panania and arrested the driver – a 59-year-old man.
He was taken to Bankstown Police Station, where he was charged with 13 offences, including knowingly direct activities of criminal group, one count of export regulated native specimen without permit/exemption, 11 counts of attempt to export regulated native specimen without permit/exemption, and deal with property proceeds of crime < $100,000.
The man was refused bail and appeared before Parramatta Local Court on Saturday 30 December 2023, where he was formally refused bail to appear at Wyong Local Court on Wednesday 17 January 2024.
During a subsequent search warrant of an address in East Hills police located 118 lizards, three snakes, eight eggs and 25 deceased lizards.
At about 3.40pm last Friday, January 5, strike force officers arrested a 31-year-old man in East Hills.
He was taken to Bankstown Police Station where he was charged with deal in or attempt to deal in protected animal, deal with property proceeds of crime < $100,000 and participate in criminal group.
During a subsequent search of a property in Grenfell, police located an additional four lizards hidden in bags.
The man was refused bail and appeared in Parramatta Local Court on Saturday.
Police will allege in court the criminal group were catching live lizards and native Australian reptiles to export for profit to Hong Kong. The animals were kept in poor conditions and bound in small containers when they were packaged to be sent.
Over the course of the investigation – during both search warrants and package intercepts – officers located 257 lizards, which were taken to various zoos and wildlife parks for examination by a vet before being released back to the wild.
Based on an average of $5,000 per lizard, the total value of reptiles seized by police is approximately $1.2m.
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