Ecuador arrests three Thais for iguana trafficking
Ecuadorian authorities have arrested three Thai nationals for allegedly trafficking 12 rare marine iguanas. The iguanas, native to the Galapagos Islands, were discovered during an airport inspection, with one found dead and others in poor condition. The suspects are facing pretrial detention as investigations continue into their trafficking methods.
- ▪Three Thai nationals were arrested for trafficking 12 rare iguanas in Ecuador.
- ▪One iguana was found dead and others showed physical ailments due to poor transport conditions.
- ▪The suspects are facing up to three years in prison for their alleged crimes.
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Ecuador arrests three Thais for iguana traffickingSign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inboxGalapagos marine iguanas are the only iguana species in the world with the ability to dive, and they can remain underwater for up to 60 minutes.PHOTO: UNSPLASHPublished May 21, 2026, 09:40 AMUpdated May 21, 2026, 09:40 AMQUITO – Ecuadoran police arrested three Thai nationals suspected of illegally trafficking 12 rare iguanas, the energy and environment ministry said on May 21.Marine Galapagos iguanas are native to Ecuador’s cherished Galapagos archipelago, a tourist gem located about 1,000km off the coast in the Pacific.One of the iguanas, discovered during an inspection at Joaquin de Olmedo Airport in the port city of Guayaquil on May 19, had died.The others showed “physical…
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