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Four men across NSW have been charged over an alleged attempt to smuggle hundreds of native lizards and reptiles to Hong Kong.
The Raptor squad established Strike Force Whyaratta in September last year, with assistance from the Federal Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water and NSW Department of Planning and Environment.
The taskforce was launched to investigate illegal native animal and reptile exports after nine packages containing 59 lizards were intercepted en route to Hong Kong.
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During raids across Sydney this week police located and seized 257 lizards – worth a total value of approximately $1.2 million.
The sting began on Wednesday, December 20 after strike force officers executed a search warrant at an address in Pendle Hill.
A 41-year-old woman was arrested and taken to Granville Police Station, where she was charged with six counts of exporting a regulated native specimen without a permit.
On December 28, a 54-year-old man was arrested at another Pendle Hill address.
He was taken to Granville Police Station, where he was charged with four counts of exporting regulated native specimens without a permit, dealing with proceeds of crime and participating in a criminal group.
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 December 29, 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 directing activities of a criminal group, export regulated native specimens without a permit, and dealing with proceeds of crime.
Another 118 lizards, three snakes, eight eggs and 25 dead lizards were found during search warrants in East Hill, while an additional four lizards hidden in bags were discovered in Grenfell.
A 31-year-old man was arrested and charged with dealing in or attempting to deal in protected animals, dealing with proceeds of crime, and participating in a criminal group.
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 allegedly kept in poor conditions and bound in small containers when they were packaged to be sent.
The reptiles seized during the investigation were taken to various zoos and wildlife parks for examination by a vet before being released back into the wild.
