Recently, a Mexican man was arrested at Tokyo Haneda Airport for smuggling rare animals hidden among 22 pairs of socks in his luggage. Keith Jeffries, former federal security director at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), mentioned that the temptation of economic gains could lead to various bizarre smuggling attempts.
According to reports from NHK (Japan Broadcasting Corporation), 23-year-old Daniel Isaac Velasco Baltazar was suspected of attempting to bring 9 tree-dwelling iguanas into Japan without government permission through Tokyo Haneda Airport, violating Japan’s Tariff Act.
These iguanas are originally from the highlands of Mexico, and cross-border trading is restricted under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). Importing such animals requires government approval.
In July, Tokyo police received a tip-off about a Mexican citizen attempting to smuggle iguanas. The police immediately notified customs officials, who found the iguanas during the inspection process. At that time, the iguanas were stuffed inside socks and wrapped in T-shirts.
Around 200 different species of iguanas were found in the suspect’s luggage. The man told investigators that he purchased these iguanas in Mexico for around $3.50 to $4.70 each, with some iguanas fetching prices up to around $630 each in Japan. The suspect has reportedly admitted to the smuggling charges.
According to a report from Fox News on August 17, Keith Jeffries, Vice President of K2 Security Screening Group and former federal security director at Los Angeles International Airport, emphasized that the lure of economic gains could lead to various peculiar smuggling attempts.
“As long as there is a market, people will attempt to smuggle,” said Jeffries, who is based in Orlando.
“We have seen this kind of situation before,” he added. “The frequency of such incidents far exceeds what any of us anticipated.”
Jeffries pointed out that airport security screening procedures may vary depending on the responsible agencies and the type of prohibited items that security personnel need to handle.
He noted that in the United States, Transportation Security Administration (TSA) personnel primarily focus on searching for items that could threaten aviation security, such as weapons and explosives, rather than specifically targeting wildlife smuggling or drugs.
“TSA security directives do not just focus on preventing smuggling,” Jeffries said. “Their emphasis is on searching for firearms, knives, explosives, and incendiary devices, with a very specific and limited scope of inspection.”
However, Jeffries added that wildlife smuggling incidents do occur. He recalled cases he dealt with during his time at TSA, including those involving rare turtles and discovering nearly a hundred rare birds in checked baggage arriving from abroad.
CBP agricultural experts are responsible for inspecting international flight luggage to detect prohibited items that could introduce pests, animal diseases, or invasive species into the United States.