Ministerio de Hacienda
A Costa Rican national from San José, used a website to acquire two living reptiles and sent them from the United States through a parcel delivery company.
The package arrived on Thursday but remained stored along with other suspicious shipments until it was discovered by agents of Fiscal Control Police (PCF).
The package came under the courier mode. We suspected it had illicit goods. Today (Thursday) we reviewed the shipment and found two live reptiles,”
said Irving Malespín, director of the PCF.
Police coordinated with the National Animal Health Service (SENASA) to take care of the animals and determine what they are (apparently a species of small lizards).
We are looking for the person who purchased these animals via Internet. We are concerned about what this wildlife transfer means to Costa Rican health. We’re not sure what they are, which is why we referred the case to SENASA. It seems they are lizards,”
stated Malespín.
Costa Rica reports cases of illegal exports of wild species. However, this is the first case where authorities confirmed a purchase of this type over the Internet.