AOL TRAVEL UK
A British holidaymaker was stopped at Cardiff Airport when she returned from a trip to Morocco with a handbag made from a WHOLE iguana, the Daily Mail reported.
The bag, which included the animal’s head and claws, was quickly confiscated by custom officers as iguanas are on a list of endangered animal skins and is illegal in Britain.
Made from dried iguana skin, the accessory showed the body of at least one lizard, which had been stretched out into a satchel with its head turned into a clasp and the claws used for decoration.
Alex Lawther, assistant director of the Border Force in Wales warned tourists about not buying animal skin bags at markets and bazaars on their exotic holidays.
‘My message to holidaymakers is simple – don’t do it,’ he told the Mail.
‘At best, you will have these items taken off you and at worst you could face a criminal conviction.
‘Some people are quite surprised and upset when we tell them that they cannot bring the items into the country.
‘Just because you can legally buy an item while on holiday abroad, it does not mean you can bring it back to the UK.
He added: ‘Importing products made from endangered species is illegal and there’s no doubt it’s deliberate – you can’t buy such a product without being aware of its origin.’
Animal skin is legally protected by international trade agreements, which ban it from being taken through customs.
Cardiff Airport revealed that in the past it has confiscated some strange items from tourists returning from their holidays, including antelope horns and snake skin children’s slippers.
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