Sydney student Bichuan Zhang jailed for attempting to post lizards to Hong Kong

They offer hours of imaginative fun to kids, but a Sydney student had far more sinister things in mind when he bought a children’s rubber dinosaur from Kmart for $10.

Bichuan Zhang was jailed for 28 months on Friday for attempting to smuggle 43 native reptiles out of the country via Australia Post. The 32-year-old packaged the animals up in parcels containing children’s toys in a bid to avoid detection. Picture: DCCEEW

A “callous” Sydney student who hid almost two dozen native Australian reptiles among children’s toys in an attempt to smuggle them out of the country has been jailed for two years and four months.

Chinese national Bichuan Zhang, 32, faced Sydney’s Downing Centre District Court for sentence on Friday after pleading guilty to five counts of attempting to export a regulated native specimen without a permit following his arrest in July 2023.

Court documents said Zhang packaged up a total of 43 lizards in six separate Australia Post boxes over the 2022/2023 Christmas period, addressing each one to different recipients in Hong Kong.

Authorities managed to intercept the packages before they left the country, discovering the smorgasbord of reptiles including shingle back lizards, blue tongue skinks, and eastern water dragons.

A popular kid’s dinosaur toy, which can be purchased at Kmart for $10, was used to conceal one of the reptiles.Picture: DCCEEW

The court heard three of the eastern water dragons were dead, however the other reptiles were still alive when rescued, although a veterinarian said they were in an emaciated state and covered in faeces.

Photographs tendered to the court show each of the animals was wrapped in a sock before being hidden inside plastic containers, among children’s toys.

In one case, Zhang had secreted one of the reptiles inside a large rubber dinosaur toy, popular among kids and which retails for $10 at Kmart.

Judge David Barrow noted Zhang had shown no regard for the welfare of the animals, who he said had no access to water, were unable to move freely and had no ventilation.

Each of the reptiles was wrapped in a sock, before being placed in plastic containers among children’s toys. Picture: DCCEEW

He also said the packaging would not have protected them from extreme changes in temperature from the heat on the tarmac to the freezing belly of the plane at altitude.

“Reducing these reptiles to commodities … is cruel and shows callousness on the part of the offender,” he said.

The court heard Zhang had arrived in Australia on a student visa in 2022 to study for a certificate in hotel operations, however had been unable to meet the high expectations of his family back home.

Judge Barrow noted a psychological report said Zhang had been motivated to commit the crimes for apparent financial gain, although exactly how much he was due to receive - and from whom - was not revealed in court.

Judge Barrow set a non-parole period of 14 months, which expires in September this year. Zhang will then be released from custody on a $1,000 bond to be of good behaviour for a further two years.

Mr Zhang was arrested as part of Operation Maxima, an international investigation led by the

Environmental Crime Team in the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW) who worked with authorities in Hong Kong.

One of the reptiles being removed from a faeces-encrusted sock. Picture: DCCEEW

The court decision was welcomed by environment minister Tanya Plibersek.

“This sentence sends a warning to anyone out there thinking of getting involved in wildlife crime: we are watching, you will be arrested, and you could go to jail,” she said.

“Our unique animals are highly valued overseas. They are vulnerable to wildlife trafficking and deserve the strongest protection from wildlife traffickers and this cruel trade.

“The Albanese Labor Government is determined to make sure that this is the case. And that is why we have dedicated specialist investigators who work domestically and internationally to eradicate these transnational organised crime groups.”

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