20 Aug, 2024 @ 11:09
1 min read

‘Nervous’ ferry passenger in Spain is caught trying to smuggle three giant lizards belonging to a threatened species

THREE giant lizards have been seized in Spain after being found among a ferry passenger’s luggage. 

The 52-year-old man was searched by the Guardia Civil in the port of Santa Cruz de Tenerife last week.

He had been stopped by border patrol after officers noticed he was ‘acting nervously’. 

They carried out a search of his car that he had been planning to drive off the ferry. 

It was in the vehicle that they discovered a baby giant lizard, a protected species found on Gran Canaria. 

They then found two large adult giant lizards hidden in the boot (pictured above). 

The suspect is facing huge fines for ‘crimes against the environment’ and potentially jail time. 

The Guardia Civil said he had a history of carrying out similar crimes.

Laurence Dollimore

Laurence Dollimore is a Spanish-speaking, NCTJ-trained journalist with almost a decade’s worth of experience.
The London native has a BA in International Relations from the University of Leeds and and an MA in the same subject from Queen Mary University London.
He earned his gold star diploma in multimedia journalism at the prestigious News Associates in London in 2016, before immediately joining the Olive Press at their offices on the Costa del Sol.
After a five-year stint, Laurence returned to the UK to work as a senior reporter at the Mail Online, where he remained for two years before coming back to the Olive Press as Digital Editor in 2023.
He continues to work for the biggest newspapers in the UK, who hire him to investigate and report on stories in Spain.
These include the Daily Mail, Telegraph, Mail Online, Mail on Sunday and The Sun and Sun Online.
He has broken world exclusives on everything from the Madeleine McCann case to the anti-tourism movement in Tenerife.

GOT A STORY? Contact newsdesk@theolivepress.es or call +34 951 273 575 Twitter: @olivepress

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