Police nab American museum director for smuggling tarantulas, scorpions from Tükiye to US
About 1,500 venomous animals, including scorpions, tarantulas, spiders endemic to Türkiye and 88 plastic tube bottles containing liquid are seized in 58 clip-on bags during the operation
Professor Lorenzo Prendini, director of the American Museum of Natural History, was arrested for smuggling nearly 1,500 tarantulas and scorpions to the U.S. in his suitcase during an operation at Istanbul Airport.
About 1,500 venomous animals, including scorpions, tarantulas, spiders endemic to Türkiye and 88 plastic tube bottles containing liquid were seized in 58 clip-on bags.
Animals collected from various regions of Türkiye
“The suitcases belong to me. I collected animals from various regions of Türkiye. I was going to do research on these species. I have done similar studies in other countries before. I took the animals to my country comfortably. I did not know that live species were banned,” Professor Lorenzo Prendini, a City University of New York research assistant, told the police.
Prendini, an American who was apparently visiting Türkiye for the first time, said: “This is my first time in Türkiye. I collected these animals from the eastern and central Anatolia region of Türkiye.”
It was learned that the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry granted Prendini a scientific research permit to conduct research in Türkiye, but he was suspected of trying to smuggle such endemic animals even though they were not allowed to leave the country.
The U.S. professor, who was found to be operating outside the permission granted by the ministry, has been conducting research for 22 years.
It is reported that endemic species of poisonous animals living in Türkiye are used to make medicines by copying their DNA and collecting their venom by milking.
The drugs in question are of exceptionally high monetary value – so exporting animal species abroad is prohibited.
According to the researchers, the market value of 1 liter of medicine obtained from scorpion venom is $10 million.
US professor’s smuggling wasn’t his first
In his testimony, Professor Prendini clarified he had done similar illegal work in other countries.
“The suitcases belonged to me. I collected an unknown number of animals from various parts of Türkiye. I was going to do research on these species. I have done similar work in other countries before. I took the animals back to my country easily,” the professor said.
Prendini was released on judicial control conditions after being detained at the Istanbul airport for smuggling scorpions and tarantulas from Türkiye to the U.S.
Source: Newsroom
