This Saturday (29), a Japanese man was arrested at Guarulhos International Airport, Grande SP, with 99 live beetles in a suitcase.
Among the insects are Brazilian species, such as the rhinoceros beetle.
In the early hours of Saturday (29), at Guarulhos International Airport, the Federal Revenue apprehended a passenger who was carrying 99 live beetles hidden in his luggage that he was taking to board a plane bound for Thailand. The animals were inside packages with holes.
The Brazilian Institute for the Environment and Renewable Natural Resources (Ibama) was called to decide the fate of the seized insects.
In his defense, the Japanese claimed that he is an insect collector. He was taken to the Federal Police (PF), where he signed a detailed term and was released to answer for an environmental crime.
rhino beetle smuggling
The smuggling of rhinoceros beetles and other species doesn't just happen in Brazil. Insects from countries like Bolivia and Costa Rica are also targeted by illegal exporters. These insects help keep forest ecosystems balanced and healthy. Bolivia's rhinoceros beetles are threatened by habitat loss caused by deforestation and poaching intended for the pet trade.
Some species such as the Dynaste beetle are fundamental to the health of the soil. They are insects that recycle nutrients in tropical forests, helping to leave the soil aerated when they burrow to feed on decaying organic matter.
“Japanese interest in large, well-equipped beetles goes beyond keeping them as pets. Jose Iannacone-Oliver and Alexander Soras-Vega, researchers in the biology department at the Federico Villarreal National University in Lima, Peru, note that among the factors causing the beetle population decline is the “use of insects… struggle, which drives global demand.”
