Japanese man held for wildlife smuggling in Indonesia

An Indonesian customs officer displays a reptile after authorities arrested a suspected wildlife smuggler from Japan. - AFP

Jakarta (AFP) - A Japanese man has been arrested in Indonesia for allegedly trying to smuggle hundreds of reptiles out of the archipelago, including snakes, lizards and turtles, authorities and environmentalists said Friday.

Katsuhide Naito, believed to be a major player in the wildlife-smuggling trade, was detained at Jakarta's main airport as he was about to board a flight to Tokyo with over 250 animals hidden in his bags.