Customs officers in Koroszczyn intercepted a shipment of 41 live lizards driven by a 41-year-old Belarusian national. The animals were packed in plastic boxes and bags concealed in the driver's cab and the engine compartment of the trailer.

The case was reported by inPoland.net.pl on Thursday, October 29. An initial examination by the Lublin customs administration's CITES coordinator identified several groups of reptiles, including goniurosaurus, girdled lizards, calotes and lacertids.

The driver said the reptiles had been bought online in Russia and were intended for a buyer in Poland for 3,000 euros, equivalent to roughly 13,270 zlotys. Lublin revenue and customs officials, however, estimated their total value at approximately 100,000 zlotys. Some of the species are protected under the CITES convention.

Authorities collected 40,000 zlotys from the driver as security toward a possible fine and referred the case to court. Illegal transport of CITES-protected animals can carry a prison sentence of up to five years in Poland.