Ecuador arrests woman over alleged iguana trafficking

Ecuadoran police arrested a Russian woman accused of attempting to smuggle 32 rare iguanas from the Galapagos archipelago, authorities said on Saturday.

Marine Galapagos iguanas are native to Ecuador's cherished archipelago, a UNESCO World Heritage Site famous for its unique flora and fauna located about 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) off the coast in the Pacific.

Police said the woman, who was traveling to Iceland, was arrested at Quito airport on Friday, after officers discovered the iguanas hidden in eight plastic boxes in a suitcase.

The iguanas were "in a weakened and dehydrated condition," the environment ministry said.

A judge ordered pretrial detention for the woman over the alleged "crime against flora and wild fauna" on Saturday, the prosecutor's office said.

The case will be decided on September 18, it said in a post on X.

She could face up to three years in prison if found guilty.

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GALAPAGOS