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Saltwater crocodile seized at Incheon International Airport Customs. / Seoul Eastern District Prosecutors' Office

A criminal ring that systematically smuggled and sold internationally endangered species — including cobras, Chinese alligators, and amethystine pythons — has been indicted.

The Seoul Eastern District Prosecutors' Office's Criminal Affairs Division 2 (led by senior prosecutor Lee Seung-hak) announced on the 6th that it indicted the ring's leader in custody and indicted four others without detention, on charges including violations of the Customs Act and the Wildlife Protection Act. The group is accused of illegally importing 200 exotic animals, including internationally endangered species, across 14 separate operations between November 2023 and August 2024, and distributing 54 of them.

Members of the group communicated with local sellers in Indonesia, Vietnam, and Thailand to purchase wildlife. They brought young animals — easier to conceal — into the country by hiding them in metal cookie tins or plastic boxes, or binding their mouths shut to prevent noise. Some animals were smuggled in inside underwear. During the process, eight endangered animals, including saltwater crocodiles and green tree pythons, died.

Once brought into Korea, the animals were sold through online reptile enthusiast forums under coded terms like "figurines" or "dolls," fetching prices ranging from several million to tens of millions of won. Prosecutors believe the exotic species that have recently turned up repeatedly in areas such as Yeoju and Yangju, Gyeonggi Province, were also illegally brought in by this same ring.

Prosecutors said, "Wild animals are often dangerous to people due to venom, aggression, or the potential to spread disease," adding, "We plan to respond firmly to the illegal trade of wildlife."

                                                                                                          Kim Tae-hoon