CAPE TOWN (Web Desk) – South African authorities arrested a 28-year-old man whom they caught trafficking 150 venomous scorpions through Cape Town airport, police said on Saturday._x000D_
_x000D_
The man had concealed the live arachnids between his clothing inside his luggage, police said._x000D_
_x000D_
His arrest on Friday followed an intelligence operation in which officers circulated his description before intercepting him at the airport._x000D_
_x000D_
“He was arrested under the Nature and Environmental Ordinance Act, being in possession of a wild animal,” police said in a statement, without naming the man. He is expected to appear in court on Monday._x000D_
_x000D_
Investigators did not disclose his intended destination._x000D_
_x000D_
The scorpions have been handed over to a wildlife facility for safekeeping, while officials assess their market value._x000D_
_x000D_
Wildlife trafficking remains a major threat in South Africa, one of the world’s most biodiverse countries._x000D_
_x000D_
Crime syndicates target iconic species such as rhinos and elephants, but also lesser‑known creatures including pangolins and reptiles, feeding a lucrative global black market.
