Australia: Man fined 31,000 AUD for smuggling 65 wild reptiles

Herz — World Desk · 27 July 2026 at 11:32 · 30s summary · 2 min read

Nicholas Thomas Havet, 28, from New South Wales (NSW), was fined 31,000 Australian dollars by the Northam Magistrates Court, a court of first instance in Western Australia, for attempting to smuggle 65 wild reptiles out of the state.

Tried in his absence, he was convicted of six counts of unauthorized wildlife export, according to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. The maximum fine stipulated by law reaches 50,000 Australian dollars per count.

Here's what we know

Between March and April 2023, Havet traveled to Western Australia twice. He rented a vehicle in Perth before heading to the northwest of the state to capture wild reptiles.

Surveillance cameras filmed him purchasing packages at a post office in Narembeen, 290 km east of Perth, before shipping them from Merredin, 70 km further. He was later apprehended at a post office in Port Hedland, approximately 1,500 km to the north.

A search of his vehicle revealed plastic containers with holes punctured through them, an endoscopic camera, and two mobile phones. Investigators also established that he had previously managed to have five suspicious packages delivered containing what were likely lizards.

65 animals intercepted, 55 died

Australia Post, the Australian public postal service, intercepted two packages at Perth airport. They contained 65 animals: bobtail skinks, ornate crevice dragons, thorny devils, western blue-tongued lizards, geckos, and variegated dtella.

Of these 65 reptiles, 4 were already dead on arrival. Due to their precarious health condition, 51 others had to be euthanized — totaling 55 dead animals.

cruel and inhumane

— Sarah Wisbey, magistrate of the Northam Magistrates Court, describing the treatment of the reptiles