Police had received a tip-off about the man, which made it easy for them to catch him at the airport. They told international media that they were already waiting for him.
A 28-year-old man’s suspicious behaviour during a security check at the airport raised alarms. When officials checked him thoroughly, they found something shocking: about 150 highly venomous scorpions. The incident happened at Cape Town airport in South Africa, where the man was arrested for trying to smuggle the live scorpions hidden in his clothes and luggage. Police caught him after receiving a secret tip-off.
Cape Town Airport Seizes 150 Live Scorpions
Police told international media that they had received the man’s details in advance, which made it easy to find and arrest him at the airport. He has been charged under the Wildlife Protection Act. The scorpions were found packed inside plastic covers. However, the police have not yet revealed which country he was trying to smuggle them to. The seized scorpions have been handed over to a wildlife conservation centre for safekeeping. Authorities are now calculating their value on the international black market.
Illegal wildlife smuggling continues to be a major challenge in South Africa. It’s not just large animals like lions, elephants, and rhinos that are targeted. Smaller creatures like snakes, scorpions, and pangolins are also smuggled in large numbers. Their body parts and venom fetch a very high price on the black market, which is why these smuggling mafias are so active.