Italian tourists face $200,000 fine for smuggling insects in Sri Lanka
An Italian family will remember their trip to Sri Lanka for a very long time due to the huge fine imposed on the father and son. The men tried to smuggle insects from a safari park.
6:19 AM EDT, September 17, 2024
Trips to safari parks are a common attraction for tourists. Observing exotic animals in their natural environment is an interesting alternative to zoos, where various species are kept in small enclosures. Typically, the only souvenirs from these trips are photographs or accessories purchased in souvenir shops. Sometimes, tourists choose more unusual artifacts.
The family wanted to steal insects from a safari park
On May 8, 2024, two men were apprehended in Yala National Park in Sri Lanka. 68-year-old Luigi Ferrari and his 28-year-old son Mattia tried to fill jars with exotic insects. The Italians lured the insects with special animal lures. They planned to preserve the captured specimens using wax sachets chemically.
Guards from Yala National Park apprehended the suspects. At the time of the operation, the Italians were holding jars to catch insects. Earlier that same day, the guards had been informed by a safari jeep driver about a suspicious car parked by the road leading to Yala National Park. The men had reportedly exited the vehicle with insect nets and headed toward the trees.
The Italians' car trunk held an unpleasant surprise
The guards approached the suspicious car. Upon opening the trunk, they discovered hundreds of jars filled with insects. K. Sujeewa Nishantha, a park ranger, told BBC Sinhala: "All the insects were dead when we found them. They put a chemical in the bottle. There were more than three hundred animals."
Luigi Ferrari and Mattia Ferrari were initially charged with committing 810 crimes. This number was eventually reduced to 304. The court imposed a fine of $200,000. If the Italians do not pay the fine by September 24, 2024, they face two years of imprisonment.
