Turkish police detains US museum curator for smuggling endemic species

By Ferhat Yasak

ISTANBUL (AA) - Lorenzo Prendini, a curator at an American museum, was detained in Istanbul on Monday for allegedly attempting to smuggle endemic poisonous species from Türkiye.

Istanbul police organized an operation at Istanbul Airport after detecting an attempt to smuggle the species abroad.

Prendini was detained during the operation where 88 plastic tube bottles containing liquids and 58 clip-on bags with approximately 1500 scorpions, tarantulas, and spiders endemic to Türkiye were seized from his luggage.

The suspect, a curator at the American Museum of Natural History, faces charges under Türkiye's anti-smuggling law.

The DNA information of endemic species of poisonous animals living in Türkiye can be used for medication production.

It is estimated that 1 liter of medicine derived from scorpion venom has a market value of around $10 million.

*Writing by Muhammed Yasin Gungor