[23 April 2008]

SANA'A, April 23 (Saba) - Yemeni authorities have seized 3000 chameleons and 350 lizards at the Sana'a airport planned to be smuggled to abroad, the althawra daily has said.

The rare reptiles that only live in Yemen, were put within banana products that would have been exported via the airport.

The paper said an Arab citizen along with a Yemeni collected the chameleons and lizards from three provinces in Yemen to smuggle them and sell them in other countries.

The two persons were arrested and referred to prosecution and the reptiles were handed over to the Authority for Environment Protection and the Sana'a Zoo.

FR/FR

Saba