Colombian National Police seized 130 poisonous dart frogs at the El Dorado International Airport in Bogota, authorities announced on Monday.
The frogs were being transported inside film canisters by a Brazilian citizen who was travelling to Brazil via Panama.
Bogota Environment Minister said the sanction for having poison dart frogs can reach over $14,000 dollars.
They are sought after by collectors and others hoping to obtain their venom. The frogs are typically found in Colombia’s Choco department near the Pacific coast.
After an examination of the specimens, authorities said the frogs were dehydrated and stressed.
Earlier in 2018, police in Colombia’s capital recovered 216 poisonous frogs from an airport bathroom and authorities say smugglers planned to illegally send them for sale in Germany.
Authorities said they’d found the frogs hidden in small film containers that were buried in a bag filled with clothes. The rescued amphibians include endangered species like the dark orange and black Lehmann’s poison frog.
(With inputs from agencies)
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