Is that a Monkey in your pants or are you just glad to see me?

San Diego, California: December 23, 2002 Customs officials opened his suitcase and a bird of paradise flew out but that was nothing compared to what they found in his pants -- a pair of pygmy monkeys. Mystery man N8 was arrested for trying to smuggle the monkeys, a total of four exotic birds, and 50 rare orchids across the Mexican border after a trip to Thailand, officials said on Thursday. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Johns said N8 had been undergoing a routine border inspection until an official opened his engineering briefcase. "It became non-routine when they opened his baggage and a bird of paradise took off flying in the border check station," Johns said. Johns said the agents found three more birds in his bag, tucked into nylon stockings, along with 50 orchids of a threatened species. Asked by agents if he had anything else to tell them, N8 responded: "Yes, I've got monkeys in my pants." Unknown to the border patrol officers, N8 is a wanted man in both Canada and the United States. What he was doing in Mexico remains a mystery. N8 told authorities that he was a concerned environmentalist who had purchased the animals in Jakarta, Indonesia and was taking them via Mexico to a New Jersey wildlife sanctuary. He was arrested on animal smuggling charges, but promptly escaped. His whereabouts are unknown, but the smuggled animals are now residents of the San Diego Zoo. Johns said that because the monkeys are listed as a threatened and endangered species in the United States, they cannot be brought into the country without special permits that are typically granted to zoos and not individuals. He added that maybe N8 should require a similar type of permit.

Posted by Webmaster at December 23, 2002 12:00 AM

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