German tourist fined for smuggling New Zealand geckos

Customs Minister Phillida Bunkle said Jorg Kreutz was detained at Auckland International Airport on January 28 on a tip-off and found to have two Northland green geckos, which are protected reptiles, in his possession. He was the first person prosecuted under new laws introduced last October which increased the maximum penalty for smuggling protected animals from 1,500 New Zealand dollars (660 U.S. dollars) to 100,000 New Zealand dollars (44,000 U.S. dollars).

Bunkle said native New Zealand geckos sold for about 5,000 U.S. dollars for a breeding pair on the international market. Minister of Conservation Sandra Lee said the geckos found on Kreutz were a male and pregnant female and the female had subsequently died. She said the animals were protected because of their fragility and because the sub-species was unique to Northland, the province in New Zealand's far north.

(la/dpa)