3 lizard smugglers arrested in Australia

Another case of Japanese citizens and smuggling, what's going on? I hope they get the max sentence.

What is the penalty for this type of crime in Australia? Will they get prison time? If so, won't it be embarrassing to answer that question "What are you in for?"

rjd_jr: I doubt they had their passports seized. First thing to do? Jump in the 1st plane and come back.

hmmm, they were not caught in the airport customs I think. Reading the news, they went to an island and when they returned, they brought some lizards with them. Were they exporting? its not clear as they are not yet going out the country. I don't see any problem yet. You can't put a person to jail by mere speculation. They were caught with a lizard, yes...exporting not yet

It's Rottnest, not 'Rottsnest' - drop the first 's'.

http://www.rottnestisland.com/

Removing fauna and flora from their natural habitat (e.g. Rottnest Island) can carry big penalities in Australia.

Moderator: Thank you. It has been corrected.

mikihouse

lots of countries you are not even allowed to keep native critters as pets or take them across borders, not of regs like this in the US

So yes these two are in deep lizard do, rightlfully so

Do the Australians have the courage to lock a Japanese in one of their prisons?????????????

they sure have been hitting the headlines overseas lately. Murder, drugs an old lady with meth in PI. Love the 2 doctors who got busted last week with the weed in Indo. But they sure do crucify a foreigner when he goofs here.

forgot my comma after drugs, sorry.

I guess they were planing to make a lizard company or something , go figure .

http://www.thewest.com.au/default.aspx?MenuID=77&ContentID=98686 has more info

If they claim religious immunity, they may be exempt from any prosecution. You never know, they may have been trying to build an Ark and collecting the animals in preperation of the big flood. Another twist to an ongoing story of animal smuggling.

what about the budgies?

Do the Australians have the courage to lock a Japanese in one of their prisons?????????????

This one does.

Courage? What is there to fear?

Do the Australians have the courage to lock a Japanese in one of their prisons?????????????

What is the penalty for this type of crime in Australia? Will they get prison time?

$10,000 fine and/or 10 years in prison. Unfortunately, those two lizards would be worth more than the fine in Japan. I have seen many Australian lizards and snakes in an exotic pet shop in Higashi-Nakano.

Do the Australians have the courage to lock a Japanese in one of their prisons?

There are couple of Japanese doing time in Queensland for the same thing. They got three years.

Lock them up until they rot.