Sign up for the editor's
weekly newsletter
- Germany edition
- Change edition:
- France |
- Norway |
- Sweden |
- Switzerland
Reader Offer
February 8, 2012
German tourist caught smuggling lizards in his underwear
Published: 8 Dec 09 08:02 CET
Online: http://www.thelocal.de/society/20091208-23791.html
A German tourist has been caught trying to leave New Zealand with 23 geckos and 20 skinks hidden in his underwear, a court heard on Monday.
- Court caps Jewish ghetto pension claims (7 Feb 12)
- Germans jailed in UK for owning terrorist material (7 Feb 12)
- Leftist crime on the rise (6 Feb 12)
A small package containing the reptiles was found in his underwear, prosecutor Mike Bodie told the Christchurch District Court on Monday.
"The package contained eight separate compartments separating various gecko and skink species," he said.
Kubus' luggage also contained a single gecko in a rolled up sock.
A total of 24 geckos were found from five different species, as well as 20 skinks from two species.
The German admitted trading geckos and taking geckos and skinks from the wild without a permit.
A black market trade in geckos exists in Europe and those taken by Kubus would have had a street value of around $35,850 US, Bodie said.
The value of the skinks was unknown because trading in that species had not previously been identified.
Kubus was due to be sentenced on January 25.
AFP (news@thelocal.de)
What do you think? Leave your comment below.
Fark It!
Digg This
Share everywhere
Send to a friend
Printable version
Twitter ThisToday's headlines
Germany signs €3 bln in deals with Kazakhstan
Germany and Kazakhstan signed agreements Wednesday worth €3 billion ($4 billion) to cooperate on raw materials, industry and technology in Berlin. READ (1 COMMENT) »
Drunken Munich U-Bahn train driver busted
A drunken train driver for Munich’s U-Bahn metro has been relieved of his duties after being busted driving with a blood alcohol level of 0.2 percent. READ (1 COMMENT) »
Arctic cold wreaks quirky havoc across Germany
The bitter cold is wreaking havoc across Germany in unexpected ways, with the subzero temps freezing an ice cream factory, forcing gravediggers to use jackhammers and driving penguins indoors. But Hamburg is having a party. READ (2 COMMENTS) »
Merkel helps boost conservatives' popularity
Chancellor Angela Merkel’s conservatives are flying high in a new opinion poll showing them garnering their best result since her beleaguered coalition took power in 2009. Germans are also more confident the euro crisis can be beat. READ (9 COMMENTS) »
Action! Babelsberg film studio fźtes 100 years
The world's oldest major film studio celebrates its 100th birthday this month with Hollywood stars and European players ready to toast Germany's mythic Studio Babelsberg outside Berlin. AFP's Deborah Cole reports. READ »
Minister calls for school 'Facebook lessons'
Family Minister Kristina Schröder has called on Germany’s high schools to teach the dangers of social networks on the internet. READ (4 COMMENTS) »
German papers win paparazzi case in Europe
German media outlets did not infringe on celebrities' privacy rights when they printed sensitive photographs or stories, the European Court of Human Rights ruled Tuesday. READ »
Motherhood in the Fatherland
Immunisations and anal pharmacists
Motherhood in the Fatherland follows mum Sabine Devins as she navigates the cultural quirks of having a baby in Germany. In the latest instalment, she tackles immunisations and baby pharmaceuticals. READ (7 COMMENTS) »
More Society
- 08/02 Action! Babelsberg film studio fźtes 100 years »
- 08/02 German papers win paparazzi case in Europe »
- 08/02 Immunisations and anal pharmacists (7 comments) »
- 07/02 Lost ancient artefacts found after 50 years (5 comments) »
- 07/02 Frozen kraut jam leaves autobahn drivers sauer (7 comments) »
- 07/02 Sex helps 'keep you young' in old age (9 comments) »
- 07/02 Rapper on dole faces benefit cut for lyrics (8 comments) »
- 07/02 Virus lays low thousands of farm animals (9 comments) »
- 06/02 Robust Germany faces rising 'burnout' problem (17 comments) »
- 06/02 Leftist crime on the rise (2 comments) »
Highlights
See all ads | Join the Marketplace
-
COMPEXX FINANZ AG
Financial services in English: insurance, pensions, investments, mortgages -
Greenback Expat Tax Services
US expat tax preparation services, specializing in Americans living in Germany -
Keith Tanner
Your British financial adviser in Berlin -
Get Grocery
Online shop for wide range of authentic Indian food in Germany/EU -
British Allsorts
Your Corner shop in Munich -
British Corner Shop
British Corner Shop is the online supermarket for British Expats. -
KFZ-Sachverstaendigenbuero Detlef Buchwald
I am an unaffiliated and impartial automotive appraiser
Sponsored Links
- EXPATTAX - German tax advice in English language - nationwide
- Dolores - Berlin's best California-style burritos!
- Learn German in Germany at one of the largest German schools in Berlin: ESL IH Berlin – booking made easy with ESL – Sprachreisen
- Hundreds of job opportunities for foreign professionals in Germany
- Translation and English writing services
- Find the right relationship
- Your advertisement here
Jobs in Germany, in English
1192 jobs available
838 new jobs this week
171 new jobs today
- EEE Audit Case Study March 2012 GERMAN and ENGLISH
- Sourcing Recruiter (m/f)
- Associate Accountant
- Mediaplaner (m/w) Fashion & Lifestyle
- LEITER PHARMAZEUTISCHE ENTWICKLUNG **PROGRESSIVE EXKLUSIV**
- Marketing Projects Manager (m/f) BuyVIP
- Team Assistant (m/f) (D - 38988-13)
- Senior UX Engineer (.NET) - Limited Contract
- Regional Market Development Director Europe m/f
- Java Developer (f/m) for the Cloud Offering - SAP NetWeaver Neo
Blog
- Feb/07 Do you like home-made Rock’n Roll with your fries?
- Nov/25 Hop on hop off Berlin
- Nov/25 Shopping in Berlin
- Nov/25 Typical Berlin
- Nov/25 I lost my heart in Kastanienallee
Essentials
Dating
Looking for your own blonde bombshell? Or is the strong, silent type more your
style? Find a German sweetheart here.
Weather
"After clouds comes clear weather," say the Germans. But what about after that? Find out in The Local's weather
section.
Blog
German stuff that's distracting us today.
Noticeboard
Whether you want to buy, sell, hire, announce or promote something, here's the place to do it - completely free of
charge.
Discuss
Debate the news, ask for advice, make friends - or just let off steam.
Register
Register now for:
> Free use of noticeboard
> Special discounts
> Weekly news roundup
> Unlimited use of discuss
News from the Goethe-Institut
- Celebrating the Moment – Against Asceticism
Abstinence is ideologically in vogue. - Little Hollywood am Main: The LUCAS International Children’s Film Festival
LUCAS is Germany’s oldest children’s film festival. - How Globally Aware Are the Germans? – Foreign news on television
Which countries and regions are viewers interested in? A major international research project focussed on these question. - Communication with the Readers – Editorial Staff and Web 2.0
In recent years, interactive platforms including blogs, Facebook and Twitter have made once passive readers into active reviewers and critics. - Reading as a “never-ending journey into your own psyche” – The Chamisso Prize Winner Michael StavariĨ
In 2012 Michael StavariĨ was awarded the Adelbert von Chamisso Prize as an “outstanding figure in contemporary literary life”.
News from Young Germany
- Weimar has the best international university in Germany
The Bauhaus University in Weimar, Thuringia, describes itself as being eager to experiment, open... - New law clears way for recognition of degrees and training earned abroad
The Upper House of the German Parliament, the Bundesrat, has approved groundbreaking legislation... - Deutsche Literatur im Netz
Wer sich im Ausland für deutsche Literatur interessierte, hatte es früher nicht immer leicht, an... - German research vessel begins Antarctic expedition
The Polarstern—a German research vessel operated by the Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and... - Science - a powerhouse of ideas
Scientific insights that can change our world are at the centre of a special scientific conference...
News from DeutschlandOnline
- Fewer animal experiments thanks to nanosensors
Countless mice, rats and rabbits die every year in the name of science – and the situation is... - German employers split over campaign to ban smoking breaks
Employers in Germany have launched a campaign to ban all smoking in the workplace, not just... - Marine Research in Kiel is heading towards new shores
Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel established On January 1, 2012 the former Leibniz... - Federal Foreign Minister Westerwelle: Laying down ambitious and binding rules for the euro
Federal Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle issued the following statement in Berlin today (11...
Noticeboard
- 07/02 Help needed
- 06/02 Channel 4 News request - moving to Germany
- 06/02 Native Italian Speaker
- 06/02 Sport-Promotion in Berlin
- 05/02 English Lessons via Skype
- 04/02 English Tutoring in Frankfurt
Toytown Germany
- 23:05 Moving to Waldshut-Tiengen...
- 23:05 The process of learning German or another language
- 23:04 Probeunterricht for attending Realschule
- 23:01 Unfair zeugnis grade in English
- 22:55 New in Munich (or new to this forum)
- 22:41 Motorcycle rideouts and roadtrips
- 22:37 Is John Terry a racist?
- 22:28 Thursday night drinks in Berlin
- 22:25 German Agency for Nature Conservation?
- 22:20 Customer experiences with Postbank
Hotel reservations in Berlin
Visiting Berlin anytime soon? Book your hotel in Berlin here.
Visiting Berlin anytime soon? Book your hotel in Berlin here.
Rental apartments in Berlin
For home-from-home holiday accommodation, search for a Berlin apartment to rent.
For home-from-home holiday accommodation, search for a Berlin apartment to rent.
Trade CFDs with InterTrader.com
Start trading shares, equities, forex, etc. No commission on equities; Low min. margins. Apply for a CFDs account now!
Start trading shares, equities, forex, etc. No commission on equities; Low min. margins. Apply for a CFDs account now!
Your comments about this article:
Hooker: Hey there sailor, is that a lizard in your pocket or are you just happy to see me?
Kubus: Actually, its in my underwear.
Hooker: Yeah! I'll be it is! Look, it's $40 for an hour...
Kubus: AAHH! You damn skink!
Hooker: Hey relax pal, you can just say 'no.' You don't have to call me a "skank"...I work hard for the money...
Kubus: No. "SKINK"..I have 20 of 'em in my shorts. See..."
Hooker: Holy crap, man! You're a freak...