Australian Police Dismantle Syndicate Planning to Illegally Export Native Lizards to Hong Kong

Four Arrested in Sydney in Connection with the Illegal Wildlife Trade; Reptiles Valued at A$1.2m (£633,000; $805,000)

An Australian criminal syndicate planning to illegally export hundreds of native lizards to Hong Kong has been dismantled by authorities.
The reptiles, which had an estimated market value of A$1.2m (£633,000; $805,000), were seized by New South Wales Police.
Three men and a woman have been arrested in Sydney and charged with offences including exporting native reptiles, dealing with the proceeds of crime and participating in a criminal group.
The lizards were allegedly kept in poor conditions and were bound in small containers for shipping.
Hong Kong is a major global transit point for the illegal trade in live animals, according to the World Wildlife Fund.