Why is the Komodo dragon here...Smuggling in underwear and cup ramen.

Customs have caught an organization that smuggled rare foreign creatures into Korea, such as Komodo dragons, the first-class endangered species.

Incheon International Airport Customs said it handed over 14 people who smuggled more than 1,8 foreign creatures to the prosecution on charges of violating customs laws from 2022 to May this year.

They were found to have smuggled foreign creatures dozens of times by hiding them in underwear, cup noodle containers, and cigarette packs while entering the country from Thailand and Indonesia.

There were rare species that cost tens of millions to hundreds of millions of won, such as Komodo dragons and Emerald Triboa snakes, among the smuggled foreign creatures.

It has been confirmed that they have made enormous economic gains by selling endangered international creatures that cannot be traded normally to online cafes or specialized stores.

The Incheon International Airport Customs Service warned that smuggling of foreign creatures is a serious crime that threatens the safety of the public and the disturbance of the local ecosystem, adding that it has taken measures to ensure that the seized foreign creatures are protected by the National Institute of Ecology.