INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Image copyrightAFPImage caption
The rescued Komodo dragons, one pictured here, were placed in the care of wildlife
experts
Police in Indonesia have seized five Komodo dragons and other endangered animals that were being illegally sold on
Facebook.A police spokesman in East Java said five suspected smugglers had been arrested in Semarang and Surabaya.The reptiles were being
sold for up to $1,400 (£1,000) each, officials said.Komodo dragons are the world's largest lizards
They can grow up to 3m (10ft) long and have razor-sharp teeth and a poisonous bite.The lizards, found on only a small group of Indonesian
islands, are endangered in the wild and protected by international law, but are sometimes illegally smuggled as exotic pets."The suspects
sold the Komodos online through Facebook," police spokesman Frans Barung Mangera said in a statement.The smugglers confessed to police that
they had already sold more than 41 of the reptiles, said East Java police director Ahkmad Yusep Gunawan
Officials said they also recovered bearcats, cockatoos, and cassowary birds from the suspected smuggling ring.If convicted, the traffickers
could face up to five years in prison and heavy fines.Image copyrightAFPImage caption
This young bearcat was also
