While being transferred from the outdoor arrivals platform to the station building, the package underwent X-ray screening, during which security personnel discovered a monkey hidden in a perforated wooden crate.
Officers uncover second exotic animal smuggling attempt this week
ANTALYA
Security officers have discovered a juvenile monkey in a package at an Antalya bus terminal when the cargo passed through an X-ray scanner, marking the second exotic animal smuggling attempt reported in Türkiye this week.
The rhesus macaque, a species prohibited for private ownership in Türkiye, was sent from the capital Ankara to the Mediterranean province.
The man, identified by the initials M.K., was supposed to receive the package but got delayed, so the cargo was temporarily stored in the terminal’s storage room.
Claiming to be unaware of the package’s contents and insisting it was a gift sent to him, M.K. faced a criminal complaint with accusation of smuggling the prohibited species.
Meanwhile, the monkey has been transferred to a local wildlife park in Antalya, where it will undergo a 15-day rehabilitation process. Authorities have yet to disclose how the animal was brought into the country.
This case follows another exotic animal smuggling attempt earlier in the week.
A baby gorilla was discovered concealed in the cargo hold of a flight arriving at Istanbul Airport from Nigeria. Rescued by authorities, the gorilla was placed under protection and is slated to be returned to its native habitat in Nigeria in the near future.
Additionally, at the beginning of the month, three infant monkeys were intercepted in the southeastern province of Şanlıurfa as they were being clandestinely transported into Türkiye in a pickup truck. The animals were subsequently placed under protective care.
