Chameleon karma: Smuggler is caught trying to sneak 74 lizards into Austria by stuffing them into socks in his suitcase

• The man was arrested in Vienna after arriving on a flight from Tanzania 
• He had stuffed the animals in ice cream boxes and socks for the long flight
• Experts believe the chameleons were destined for the Czech black market
• They have a black market value of £32,000 and the smuggler faces a fine 

A smuggler who tried to sneak 74 protected chameleons into Austria by stuffing them into socks and ice cream boxes has been arrested at Vienna Airport.

The man, who was travelling from Tanzania via the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa, hid the lizards in his luggage.

But his unusual cargo was discovered after his suitcase was X-rayed.

A smuggler who tried to sneak 74 protected chameleons into Austria by stuffing them into socks and ice cream boxes has been arrested at Vienna Airport

The man, who was initially travelling from Tanzania via the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa, hid the lizards in his luggage

His unusual cargo was discovered after his suitcase was X-rayed and airport officials found the smuggled animals

The suspect is now facing criminal proceedings and a fine of up to around £5,000 after stashing the animals in his suitcase

Officials found the animals, whose black market value is valued at around £32,000, mostly in good health although two had died en route.

The man was immediately arrested while the boxes of chameleons were brought to Schoenbrunn Zoo.

They have since been given appropriate accommodation and a veterinary examination.

The chameleons, which included a one-week-old youngster, are now living in proper terrariums where environmental conditions are provided to meet their needs.

Officials found the animals, whose black market value is valued at around £32,000, mostly in good health although two had died en route

The man was immediately arrested while the boxes of chameleons were brought to Schoenbrunn Zoo

The chameleons, which included a one-week-old youngster, are now living in proper terrariums

The lizards had been stuffed into his socks for the long plane journey but were picked up by the X-ray machine

Zoo experts claimed the chameleons come from the Usambara Mountains, a cold and rainy region of Tanzania.

They believe the animals were destined to end up on the Czech black market.

The suspect is now facing criminal proceedings and a fine of up to around £5,000.

Finance Minister Gernot Bluemel said in a statement that he is happy that the customs officers could contribute to ending animal suffering and support animal welfare including supporting the preservation of rare species such as these.

Zoo experts claimed the chameleons come from the Usambara Mountains, a cold and rainy region of Tanzania

Experts believe the animals were destined to end up on the Czech black market

They have since been given appropriate accommodation and a veterinary examination

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