Indonesia says arrested Russian smuggled orangutan, lizards
Posted Mar 25, 2019 10:23:36 AM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
DENPASAR, Indonesia — Indonesian police say they also found geckos and chameleons in the luggage of a Russian tourist who has been arrested for allegedly trying to smuggle a drugged orangutan out of Bali.
Andrei Zhestkov was arrested late Friday at Bali’s international airport after security officers found a 2-year-old endangered male orangutan sleeping in a rattan basket in his luggage.
Local police chief Ruddi Setiawan announced Monday that the suspect had fed the animal allergy pills mixed with milk, causing it to lose consciousness. He said authorities also found two geckos and four cameleons in his bags.
He said the suspect, who had planned to return to his home in Vladivostok, faces up to five years in jail and $7,000 in fines for attempting to smuggle wildlife if he is found guilty.
The Associated Press
