An Italian man is facing possible legal action after a dried head of a critically endangered crocodile was found in his luggage at Turin’s Caselle airport. The man arrived on a flight from Miami via Istanbul, according to the Turin unit of Italy’s financial police. The crocodile’s head was wrapped in brown paper to hide it from security and customs inspections. Authorities quickly confiscated the item, and the man, who was reportedly returning from a holiday, is now under investigation for smuggling a protected species. The crocodile is protected under the Washington Convention, an international treaty signed in 1973 to prevent the trade of endangered species. If convicted, the man could be fined between €20,000 and €200,000 or face a prison sentence of six months to one year. The seizure is part of a broader effort by Italian authorities to combat the illegal wildlife trade, which often involves organized crime networks. Italy is a significant transit point for the illegal trade of exotic animals, with much of the activity linked to organized criminal groups. A recent report by the Italian branch of the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) noted that animals such as tortoises, ornamental birds, tropical reptiles, and even small primates are frequently traded through online platforms and cross-border exchanges. In 2025, a chimpanzee was seized in Sicily after being held illegally, highlighting the ongoing challenges in this area. Dried crocodile heads are sometimes purchased by tourists as souvenirs, often without realizing they are illegal to transport. Similar incidents have occurred elsewhere, such as when a Canadian man was arrested at Delhi airport last year after a crocodile’s head, purchased in Thailand, was discovered in his luggage. These cases underscore the global nature of the illegal wildlife trade and the challenges faced by authorities in preventing the smuggling of protected species.