Man caught entering Israel with 186 exotic animals stuffed in his suitcase

The suspect had arrived at Ben Gurion on a flight from Thailand.

By Pesach Benson, TPS

Customs inspectors at Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport foiled an attempt to smuggle nearly 200 exotic animals, Israeli authorities announced on Thursday.

The suspect, a 24-year-old Israeli man from Bnei Brak, was caught with 186 animals in his suitcase, including snakes, turtles, crabs, frogs, lizards, and other amphibians worth an estimated tens of thousands of dollars, the Tax Authority, the Ministry of Agriculture, and the Nature and Parks Authority said.

The suspect had arrived at Ben Gurion on a flight from Thailand.

“These are various species that could become invasive and pose a threat to local wildlife and agriculture,” officials said.

“Experience shows that smuggled animals arriving without proper veterinary inspection often carry dangerous parasites and diseases, and most die shortly after arrival.”

All the animals survived the trip. Authorities are working to return them to their countries of origin.