A villainous syndicate who were seeking to illegally export hundreds of Australian lizards to Hong Kong, have had their criminal plot uncovered leading to four arrests, with more likely.

A task force set up in September 2023 were able to identify three men and one woman, who were subsequently taken into custody, for planning the exportation of 257 of the native reptiles, along with three accompanying snakes, said to be worth in the region of $1.2 AUS on the exotic animal market.

New South Wales police intercepted and seized the cargo which was being transported in very poor conditions, with the creatures bound and concealed in things like chip packets, cereal containers, and handbags.

After being checked over by veterinary staff, the animals were handed over to zoos and wildlife parks, before many were given the all-clear to be released back into the wild.

Taskforce set up

Strike Force Whyaratta was a taskforce created by the State Crime Command’s raptor squad, to undertake a thorough investigation, tracking alleged smugglers.

This was after 59 live lizards, believed to have been illegally captured in their native habitat, were intercepted at a Sydney gateway postal facility, in nine small containers on their way to Hong Kong, back in September 2023.

Lightening raids

The group was set up with assistance from the environment departments of the state of New South Wales and federal government, with the purpose of exposing the criminal element behind the practice.

Raptor squad detectives obtained warrants to carry out a series of lightening raids and were delighted to dismantle what they called a “large-scale and high-level criminal syndicate” who were looking to make significant profits from what they described as a “lucrative business”.

Dead lizards found too

At one home in the state capital, they confiscated 118 lizards, three snakes, eight eggs, as well as 25 further lizards, which sadly were dead. Then a further search of a property in the more rural Grenfell, exposed four additional lizards, hidden in very cramped conditions in several bags.

Ringleader remanded in custody

The four suspects, three men and one woman, are aged between 31 and 59 and face charges which include exporting regulated native specimens without a permit and dealing with property proceeds of crime and participating in a criminal group.

The alleged ringleader is a 59-year-old man who is facing 13 charges in total, and was arrested during a vehicle stop in Panania, in Sydney’s south-west, on 29 December. He was refused bail and is due to reappear in court on January 17.

One man named

The only named suspected participant at this stage, is 31-year-old Reece Elson, who is accused of regularly travelling to remote areas of the country, including Western Australia and the Northern Territory, to trap the reptiles and bring them back to Sydney.

He was arrested close to Panania, in the East Hills area, and charged with dealing in or attempting to deal in a protected animal, participating in a criminal group, and dealing with property suspected to be the proceeds of crime greater than $1 million AUS.

He was granted bail with the stipulated condition of reporting daily to police. His will appear in court on 18 January.

Pendle Hill pair picked up

The other two arrested were a 54-year-old man who was picked up in Pendle Hill, in the city’s north-west late last month, when 60 lizards were discovered in a store room and he has been charged with the transporting and exporting of the animals.

He was also accused of criminal involvement with a group handling property suspected to be the proceeds of crime greater than $1m AUS. He is due back in court on 16 January, after being allowed bail.

The women implicated is a 41-year-old, also apprehended in Pendle Hill, and she has been charged with six counts of exporting a regulated native specimen without a permit or exemption. She too was given bail and will face Parramatta Local Court on 23 January.

Happy ending for majority of lizards

Squad commander Detective Superintendent Andrew Koutsoufis said further arrests were pending in the “near future”. The detective explained that the reptiles are high in demand in the international market and are captured for a variety of purposes, including medicinal purposes.

Superintendent Koutsoufis said amongst the reptiles recovered were blue-tongued and shingle-back lizards. “People, often collectors, are willing to pay big dollars for these creatures” he said, before confirming that there was a happy ending in most cases.

“Thankfully most of them have survived their arduous journey, so it’s a good result that we’ve been able to get in there early enough to save the vast majority of these animals.”

He also pointed out that if the group are convicted, they face up to 15 years in prison.