US EditionSydney man jailed for mailing reptiles in popcorn bags
Neil Simpson received the longest Australian wildlife smuggling sentence for attempting to export 101 native reptiles hidden in 15 packages to multiple countries.
- On Tuesday, Neil Simpson, 61, Sydney man, was sentenced to an eight-year jail term with a non-parole period of five years and four months.
- Between 2018 and 2023, Neil Simpson attempted to export native reptiles to Hong Kong, Romania, South Korea and Sri Lanka, breaching federal offence rules on regulated species without permits.
- Searches uncovered 101 live lizards, skinks and dragons secured in calico bags and concealed inside popcorn packets, biscuit tins and a handbag.
- Federal environment officials said the record eight-year term was a record for wildlife smuggling, three other individuals convicted after Simpson used them to post packages, and a department spokesperson said the trade is cruel and harms biodiversity.
- Seized species included shingleback lizards, Western blue-tongue lizards and spiny-tailed skinks, while the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water said partners use advanced scanning technologies at border points to intercept concealed animals.
44 Articles
44 Articles
Australia Animal Smuggling Case: Man Jailed for 8 Years After Mailing Lizards in Popcorn Bags | 🌎 LatestLY
Sydney man Neil Simpson received a record 8-year jail sentence on February 13, 2026, for smuggling 101 native reptiles to Asia and Europe. Simpson hid lizards and skinks in popcorn bags and biscuit tins to evade detection. This landmark case marks the largest wildlife trafficking penalty in Australian history, following a multi-year federal probe. 🌎 Australia Animal Smuggling Case: Man Jailed for 8 Years After Mailing Lizards in Popcorn Bags.
Malay Mail
AlKhaleej TodaySydney man jailed eight years for smuggling native reptiles in popcorn bags
SYDNEY, Feb 17 — A Sydney man who tried to post native lizards, dragons and other reptiles out of Australia in bags of popcorn and biscuit tins has been sentenced to eight years in jail, authorities said today. The eight-year term handed down on Friday was a record for wildlife smuggling, federal environment officials said.A district court in Sydney gave the man, 61-year-old Neil Simpson, a non-parole period of five years and four months.Investi…
Coverage Details
Bias Distribution
- 42% of the sources are Center, 42% of the sources lean Right
Factuality
To view factuality data please Upgrade to Premium
