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Indonesia arrests Japanese man in reptile smuggling

In this May 16, 2017 photo, custom officers show a pig-nosed turtle and a Japanese suspect, Naito Katsuhide, front right, during a press conference at the quarantine facility of Soekarno-Hatta International Airport on the outskirts of Jakarta, Indonesian authorities have arrested a Japanese man who conservationists says is a major player in the illegal wildlife trade for attempting to smuggle more than 250 reptiles out of the country.(AP Photo)
In this May 16, 2017 photo, custom officers show a pig-nosed turtle and a Japanese suspect, Naito Katsuhide, front right, during a press conference at the quarantine facility of Soekarno-Hatta International Airport on the outskirts of Jakarta, Indonesian authorities have arrested a Japanese man who conservationists says is a major player in the illegal wildlife trade for attempting to smuggle more than 250 reptiles out of the country.(AP Photo) In this May 16, 2017 photo, custom officers show a pig-nosed turtle and a Japanese suspect, Naito Katsuhide, front right, during a press conference at the quarantine facility of Soekarno-Hatta International Airport on the outskirts of Jakarta, Indonesian authorities have arrested a Japanese man who conservationists says is a major player in the illegal wildlife trade for attempting to smuggle more than 250 reptiles out of the country.(AP Photo)

By Associated Press 2 min read

JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) – Indonesian authorities have arrested a Japanese man who conservationists say is a major player in the illegal wildlife trade for allegedly attempting to smuggle more than 250 reptiles out of the country.

The head of law enforcement at Jakarta’s international airport, Ridwan Alaydrus, said Thursday that Katsuhide Naito was arrested after customs officers found 181 lizards, 65 snakes and seven turtles in his luggage.

He said the wildlife seized Tuesday included 12 different species, three of which are endangered.

Naito allegedly bought the haul from poachers in northern Sumatra and the Indonesian part of Borneo, Alaydrus said. It included green tree snakes, Borneo lizards and pig-nosed turtles, which are protected under Indonesian law.

Naito was arrested before boarding a flight to Japan. His travel documents indicated he is a frequent visitor to Indonesia, holding Platinum Elite Plus status with the country’s national airline, Garuda.