CAPE TOWN – A 28-year-old man is due to appear in the Bellville Magistrates’ Court on Monday, 15 June, after 150 live venomous scorpions were discovered concealed in his luggage at Cape Town International Airport. He was arrested on Friday, 12 June.

Intelligence-led operation

Western Cape Police spokesperson Sgt Wesley Twigg says the arrest was the result of a joint intelligence-driven operation between the Kuilsriver Stock Theft and Endangered Species unit and Cape Nature. Acting on information received about a person allegedly in possession of scorpions at the airport, officers obtained a description of the suspect and apprehended him.

Scorpions found hidden in clothing

According to Twigg, a search of the suspect’s luggage revealed 150 live scorpions concealed between his clothing. He was arrested under the Nature and Environmental Ordinance Act for being in possession of a wild animal. The monetary value of the scorpions is yet to be determined. The animals were transported to a haven for safekeeping.

ALSO READ: Police seize counterfeit goods worth R98 million in Bellville