Single mum caught with lizards and turtles at airport

A Japanese single mother has been arrested and charged with attempting to smuggle endangered turtles and lizards to Tokyo through Suvarnabhumi airport.

Please join us on our Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/bangkokpostlearning

Single mum caught smuggling wildlife at airport

Sutthiwit Chayutworakan

SAMUT PRAKAN – A Japanese single mother has been arrested and charged with attempting to smuggle endangered turtles and lizards to Tokyo through Suvarnabhumi airport.

Maki Takahashi, 44, who was pushing a baby carriage carrying her six-month old son, was boarding a flight to Tokyo when stopped by police, who asked to search her luggage, about 9.50pm on Tuesday.

Police said they stopped her after airport staff alerted them there were some things moving inside her travelling bag.

When the bag was opened, 32 protected turtles, 8 monitor lizards and 15 crocodile lizards were found inside. The woman was arrested, taken to the Suvarnabhumi airport police station and charged.

These protected turtles and other wildlife were found in a travelling bag carried by a Japanese woman as she boarded a plane to Tokyo at Suvarnhabumi airport on Tuesday night.

Ms Takahashi told police an Asian man had offered her 100,000 yen (about 30,000 baht) to take the bag from Thailand to Japan. She insisted she did not know what the bag contained.

She said she accepted the offer because she had been abandoned by her ex-husband and needed money to care for her six-month old son.

She was charged with illegal trading of protected wildlife in violation of the Wildlife Protection and Conservation Act.

The Japanese embassy was informed of her arrest. Ms Takahashi later contacted relatives in Japan to arrange surety for a bail application.

สามารถฝึกอ่านออกเสียงและดูคำแปลได้ที่ : http://www.bangkokpost.com/learning/learning-from-news/1143196/single-mum-caught-with-lizards-and-turtles-at-airport