US man charged with smuggling iguanas from Fiji in false leg

A Californian man has been charged with using his false leg to smuggle three endangered iguanas from a nature reserve in Fiji to the United States.

Prosecutors say Jereme James stole the banded iguanas while on a visit to the South Pacific island in 2002.

He is alleged to have a special compartment inside his prosthetic limb to move the reptiles.



Officials began investigating Mr James after receiving a tip off that he was in possession of several of the beasts.

The Fiji Island Banded Iguana (Brachylophus fasciatus), noted for its bright green skin, is threatened with extinction and protected under an international treaty regulating trade in endangered species.

Mr James could face up to five years in prison if convicted.

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