Italian tourists fined $200,000 for smuggling insects from Sri Lanka safari

An Italian family will remember their trip to Sri Lanka for a very long time, owing to a hefty fine imposed on the father and son. The men attempted to smuggle insects from a safari park.

Trips to safari parks are a popular attraction for tourists. Watching exotic animals in their natural habitat is a captivating alternative to zoos, where different species are often confined to small enclosures. Typically, the only souvenirs from such trips are photographs or items from souvenir shops. Occasionally, tourists opt for more unusual artefacts.

On 8 May 2024, two men were detained in Yala National Park in Sri Lanka. The 68-year-old Luigi Ferrari and his 28-year-old son Mattia attempted to fill jars with exotic insects. The Italians lured the insects using special animal baits and planned to preserve the captured specimens using wax sachets chemically.

The guards from Yala National Park apprehended the suspects. At the time of their capture, the Italians were holding jars and catching insects. Earlier that same day, a safari jeep driver had alerted the guards about a suspicious car parked on the road leading to Yala National Park. Men equipped with insect nets exited the vehicle and approached the trees.

The guards approached the suspicious car. Upon opening the boot lid, the officers discovered hundreds of jars filled with insects. K. Sujeewa Nishantha, a park ranger, said in an interview with BBC Sinhala: “All the insects were dead when we found them. They put a chemical in the bottles. There were more than three hundred animals.”

Luigi Ferrari and Mattia Ferrari were initially charged with committing 810 offences. Ultimately, this number was reduced to 304. The court imposed a fine of $200,000 (approx £160,000). If the Italians do not pay the fine by 24 September 2024, they face a two-year prison sentence.