Man 'tried to take snakes on a plane'

[Fuscus]

It is a crime motivated by economics so fines should be based on a formula to make the risk not worth while - eg estimated value multiplied by estimated odds of being caught multiplied by 2. So if the animals were valued at $1000 and the odds are estimated at 20 to 1 then the formula would by 1000 X 20 X2 or $40,000.
And on a related note, what is the price difference of an albino Darwin. I'm surprised that they don't have them overseas.

 

[junglepython2]

I'd bet you could fetch a lot more then 20k Australian for an albino Darwin overseas. Plus it's the courts who hand out the small fines not customs.

 

[funcouple]

20k for an albino carpet lol more like 7k. so who is running the book on what fine he will get? i bet 3.5k

 

[christo]

at least get your info right....

Direct Quote:
"The snakes have been identified as three black headed pythons and an albino carpet python, an extremely endangered species with numbers estimated to be as low as 100.

The albino python is worth about $20,000, while Customs estimates all the reptiles in the smuggling attempt would fetch between $160,000 and $200,000 on the black market."

an albino carpet python is just a regular carpet python but a different colour/morph... NOT an endangered species...

BAH

Nat x

The Herald-Sun does it again! At least this time they were actually snakes and not killer dog leads.

 

[Simple]

hang the maggot:evil:
he'll probably get some piss weak fine like that low life who got caught smuggling the greens not too long ago :evil:
laws are far to soft on these scumbags

The fine he got was for breech of his Victoian licensing conditions. Smuggling is a Federal offence. These court cases take years to come up. This particilar saga is not finished, that is why they confiscated his passport. This is my understanding of what is going on.If anyone has futher info on this matter I would like to hear it.

 

[MrBredli]

Actually that error was made by customs, not the media. So they're off the hook this time...

 

[Moreliaman]

That was in the papers here too !! ......has some xray pics of the herps in the luggage....nice selection of blues..im glad he was caught...the herps wouldnt have had a nice journey in that suitcase

The Mirror

 

[Colin]

Hit him withthefull force of the law,

Enough of these crappy slaps on the wrist.

exactly. until they impose hard prison time and large fines this will just keep happening.

The maximum penalty for illegal importing or exporting wildlife under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 is $110,000 and or 10 years jail.

 

[Rainbow-Serpent]

My Aunty works in that department, she says people often attempt to smuggle our native reptiles and birds, she's the one who busts them But even she agrees, they don't get a good enough punishment, also, Why didn't they ask who wanted those poor reptiles!? :evil:

*drools over albino*

Oh yeah, nearly forgot, I didn't know that Albino Darwins were classed as an entirely different species to normal Darwins?:|

 

[Hooglabah]

there not the only differance between then aside from the price is thier colour its a no herper mess up

 

[falconboy]

The bloke is from Bonnet Bay too - fancy someone from the Shire doing that. We are such a cut above over here. LOL

 

[Moreliaman]

There have been albino carpets overseas for some time now which I'm sure nobody here would believe they were actually bred there

Peees me right off when it's usually people overseas have better looking Australian native reptiles than we have ourselves.There's the albino bhp's which supposedly were bred by a fluke chance which I personally don't believe. There's the albino Darwins which happened to pop up at the right time along with jags etc etc.!

With the amout of australian herps bred overseas compared to the amount bred & hatched in australia, id say there was more chance of albinos "popping" up overseas....wouldnt you !!

 

[News Bot]

Published: 24-Feb-09 09:10 AM
Source: digg
Category: People

A MAN has been charged with attempting to smuggle 44 native lizards and snakes on a flight out of Australia, including a rare albino python. The haul of reptiles allegedly found in the 24-year-old's luggage at Sydney airport on Friday included 24 shingleback lizards, 16 bluetongue lizards and four snakes. The snakes have been identified as three

Read More...

 

[-Peter]

Bonnet Bay!

 

[-Peter]

The bloke is from Bonnet Bay too - fancy someone from the Shire doing that. We are such a cut above over here. LOL

When the message sent by the courts is that all you get is a low order fine and a slap on the wrist its no wonder people try their hand. Even someone from the Shire of all places.

 

[pythons73]

Are Albino Carpets classified as such on ppls record book,or they are just the same as normal Darwins.They certaintely wouldnt be classified as a different species.

 

[anguskennedy]

What did they mean by 'rare species of albino python, less than 100 of them'? Being an albino doesn't actually make it a different species.... and I didnt know we had any python species with less than a hundred individuals left....

Any thoughts?

 

[falconboy]

Bonnet Bay!

Oh, I know, how dreadful. He must have recently moved to the area from the west. LOL. :lol:

 

[PhilK]

Any thoughts?

Yes you're being too picky and too literal

The rewards must far outweigh the punishment to attempt something like that!

 

[funcouple]

Bonnet Bay!

oh no, didnt think people from the shire were like that. wonder how many more criminals are hiding out there???