Police discovered a hidden room behind a false wall in an apartment in Bari, southern Italy. The hidden room contained a variety of exotic reptiles, several of them potentially very dangerous.
Among the items found were boa constrictors and pythons, four anacondas, and a 1.5-meter-long spectacled caiman. The latter has “extremely powerful jaws and potentially aggressive behavior,” according to a police statement.
There was also an armadillo, and a lizard that can grow up to 2.5 meters long.
The reptiles belonged to a criminal who has not yet been traced. Police warn of a worrying trend.
“In many cases, these animals are used as tools for threats or to demonstrate criminal power,” police said.
