The operation was conducted by Carabinieri officers from the Bari CITES Unit with support from the Altamura Park Carabinieri Unit as part of a territorial control operation, according to research. Police found the animals concealed in a basement, revealing a sophisticated setup designed to evade detection. The recovered animals included two green anacondas, each about 5 meters long and weighing around 60 kilograms.
5 meters. Additional seized reptiles included a yellow anaconda, a Bolivian anaconda, four Burmese pythons each approximately 3 meters long, and four boa constrictors. The animals were held illegally without required CITES documentation and in poor, unsafe conditions incompatible with their needs, according to research.
The reptiles belong to species protected by the Washington Convention on the Protection of Endangered Species (CITES), as research indicates. The reptiles were kept by a man with multiple criminal convictions who is currently untraceable, according to a police statement. The operation was conducted by Carabinieri officers from the Bari CITES Unit with support from the Altamura Park Carabinieri Unit as part of a territorial control operation, according to research.
All specimens were seized and transferred to authorized facilities for proper custody, safety, and well-being, according to research. Dangerous reptiles are being used by criminals as tools of intimidation or to display criminal power in the area, police stated. The spectacled caiman is a wild predator with extremely powerful jaws and potentially aggressive behavior, posing a real threat to public safety, according to a police statement.
The possession of exotic and dangerous animals in criminal contexts is a phenomenon of significant social concern, police stated. How exactly criminals use these reptiles for intimidation, such as through specific threats or displays, remains unclear. Similarly, the duration of the clandestine reptile house's operation is unknown.
Authorities are conducting ongoing investigations to locate the untraceable man and identify other involved individuals. The police emphasized that the use of such animals by criminals is not isolated, reflecting broader trends in the region. The CITES documentation, which regulates international trade in endangered species, was completely absent, highlighting the illegal nature of the operation.
The conditions in which the animals were kept were described as hazardous, with inadequate space and care for their survival. The transfer to authorized facilities aims to ensure the reptiles receive appropriate veterinary care and housing. The involvement of specialized units like the Bari CITES Unit underscores the seriousness with which authorities are treating wildlife crimes linked to criminal activities.
The public safety risk posed by animals like the spectacled caiman is particularly acute given their potential for aggression and physical harm. Ongoing efforts to track down the owner and any accomplices are part of a wider crackdown on illegal exotic animal trade in southern Italy.