Sock stash haul: 200 lizards seized from traveler at Haneda

A 23-year-old Mexican man was arrested at Tokyo’s Haneda Airport after customs found about 200 lizards packed inside 22 pairs of socks in his luggage, including nine endangered Mexican alligator lizards. He allegedly bought the reptiles cheaply in Mexico and could sell them for hundreds in Japan. The incident underscores wildlife smuggling and raises questions about how border screenings detect illicit animal trade.