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CRIME

German tourist caught smuggling lizards in his underwear

A German tourist has been caught trying to leave New Zealand with 23 geckos and 20 skinks hidden in his underwear, a court heard on Monday.

Published: 8 December 2009 08:02 CET
German tourist caught smuggling lizards in his underwear
Please sir, don't put me in your underpants! Photo: DPA

Hans Kubus, 58, was stopped at Christchurch Airport on Sunday after checking in, and was searched by customs staff.

A small package containing the reptiles was found in his underwear, prosecutor Mike Bodie told the Christchurch District Court on Monday.

“The package contained eight separate compartments separating various gecko and skink species,” he said.

Kubus’ luggage also contained a single gecko in a rolled up sock.

A total of 24 geckos were found from five different species, as well as 20 skinks from two species.

The German admitted trading geckos and taking geckos and skinks from the wild without a permit.

A black market trade in geckos exists in Europe and those taken by Kubus would have had a street value of around $35,850 US, Bodie said.

The value of the skinks was unknown because trading in that species had not previously been identified.

Kubus was due to be sentenced on January 25.

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CRIME

Man sentenced to five years for deadly attack at German pride parade

A German court handed a man a five-year juvenile detention sentence Wednesday over the death of a trans man he attacked at a pride march, in a case that caused a national outcry.

Published: 22 March 2023 17:01 CET
Man sentenced to five years for deadly attack at German pride parade

The tribunal in the western city of Münster convicted the defendant, whose name was not released due to his age, of “assault resulting in the death” of the 25-year-old victim identified as Malte C., court spokesman Henning Barton told AFP.

As well as the five-year sentence, the judges ordered “his placement in a drug rehabilitation centre”, Barton said.

The 20-year-old had shouted homophobic insults and threats at several people attending an LGBTQ pride march in Münster in August 2022.

Malte C. had placed himself between the assailant and the group with the aim of protecting them, at which point the attacker became more aggressive.

He punched Malte C. in the face, causing him to fall to the ground and hit the back of his head on the ground. He underwent emergency surgery that night for a traumatic brain injury and was placed in an induced coma.

The 25-year-old died in hospital a few days later.

The case sparked anger across Germany, with LGBTQ groups calling for more decisive action against homophobic and anti-trans violence.

Rights organisations and religious leaders organised a public funeral for Malte C. in October which was attended by several local officials including police chief Alexandra Dorndorf, who posted a photograph on Twitter of herself
at the ceremony holding a rainbow flag in solidarity with the queer community.

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