Man Caught With 'virtual Zoo' In Luggage

[Kirty]

Man caught with 'virtual zoo' in luggage

http://news.ninemsn.com.au/world/8248979/man-caught-with-live-baby-bear-in-suitcae

A man has been caught trying to fly out of Bangkok with live baby animals, including leopards, panthers and a bear, in his luggage.

The animals, which were all under two months old and had been drugged, were discovered in the suitcases of a man heading for Dubai on a first class plane ticket, the Freeland Foundation anti-trafficking group said.

The man, a 36-year-old United Arab Emirates citizen, was waiting to check-in for his flight at Bangkok's international airport when he was apprehended by undercover anti-trafficking officers early Friday, according to the Freeland Foundation.

When authorities opened the suitcases, the animals yawned, said Freeland Foundation director Steven Galster, who was present during the bust.

There were two leopards, two panthers, an Asiatic black bear and two macaque monkeys - all about the size of puppies.

The animals were all aged under two months, Agence France-Presse reported.

"It looked like they had sedated the animals and had them in flat cages so they couldn't move around much," Galster said.

Some of the animals were placed inside canisters with air holes.

The man, Noor Mahmoodr, was charged with smuggling endangered species out of Thailand, according to Colonel Kiattipong Khawsamang of the Nature Crime Police.

He said one of the bags had been abandoned in an airport lounge because the animals were being too noisy.

Authorities believe Mahmoodr was part of a trafficking network and are searching for suspected accomplices.

"It was a very sophisticated smuggling operation. We've never seen one like this before," Galster said.

"The guy had a virtual zoo in his suitcases."

The Freeland Foundation said the animals were taken into the care of local veterinarians.

"There's a pretty strong likelihood that some of them wouldn't have survived the flight in the condition they were in," Freeland's Roy Schlieben said.

"The fact they were transported alive would indicate the person at the other end wanted to keep them in their residence or some sort of zoo, or maybe even breed them," he said.

The anti-trafficking officers had been monitoring the man since his black market purchase of the rare and endangered animals, Freeland said.

Thailand is a hub for illegal wildlife trafficking, but authorities typically find rare turtles, tortoises, snakes and lizards that feed demand in China and Vietnam.

Finding such an array of live mammals is unusual.

In Thailand, leopards and panthers fetch roughly $US5000 ($A4,700) a piece on the black market, but their value in Dubai was presumably higher, Galster said.

It was not known if the animals were destined to be resold or kept as exotic pets, a practice popular in the Middle East.

If convicted, Mahmoodr could face up to four years in jail and a 40,000 baht (about $A1200) fine, Kiattipong said.

[persephone]

Oh dear Poor little babies .

[jerojath]

An A$1200 fine???

No wonder such practices still occur!

[Swizzlestick]

It's sickening. I can't imagine what these poor animals that get smuggled go through. Just awful.

[Pretty Miss Emma]

At least they "woke up and yawned", could have been so so much worse. Hopefully they survive the ordeal and get to be placed somewhere that can adequately care for them, poor little bubbies.

[Kirislin]

And I wonder what happened to the mothers. Probably dead I suspect.

[Leelaa17]

what a douche. absolutely f**king douche bag.

hope he gets whats coming to him. prick.

[tommygirl]

The appauling part is the very minimal penalty for doing something like this!