This Saturday (29), a Japanese man was detained at Guarulhos International Airport, Greater SP with 99 live beetles in a suitcase.
Among the insects are Brazilian species, such as the rhinoceros beetle.
The Federal Revenue Service seized in the early hours of this Saturday (29), at Guarulhos International Airport, 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 of Environment and Renewable Natural Resources (IBAMA) was called to decide what will be the fate of the seized insects.
In his defense, the Japanese man claimed to be an insect collector. He was taken to the Federal Police (PF), where he signed a statement of circumstances and was released to face charges of environmental crime.
Rhinoceros 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 maintain balanced and healthy forest ecosystems. Bolivia's rhinoceros beetles are threatened by habitat loss caused by deforestation and illegal hunting for the pet trade.
Some species, such as the Dynastes beetle, are essential for soil health. These insects recycle nutrients in tropical forests, helping to aerate the soil when they burrow to feed on decaying organic matter.
"The 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 Federico Villarreal National University in Lima, Peru, note that among the factors driving the decline in the beetle population is the "use of the insects... in fighting events, which drives global demand."