The Australian police have dismantled what they believe to be a smuggling network that was attempting to export native lizards and reptiles worth more than 1.2 million Australian dollars (800,000 US dollars) to Hong Kong.

New South Wales Police said in a statement published on Monday that three men, aged 54, 59, and 31, and a 41-year-old woman were arrested in Sydney as part of the investigation.

The operation began in September 2023, when nine parcels containing 59 live lizards on their way to Hong Kong were stopped.

All four suspected members of the group are scheduled to appear in court in January.

The police statement said, "The police will allege in court that the criminal group was hunting live native Australian lizards and reptiles to export them for profit to Hong Kong."

It added: "The animals were kept in poor conditions and were confined in small containers when they were packed for shipping."

The police said officers found a total of 257 lizards and three snakes during the investigation, both in the parcels and at addresses used by the group.

The statement added that the reptiles "were transferred to various zoos and wildlife parks to be examined by a veterinarian before being returned to the wild."

The police estimate that the value of the lizards is about 5,000 Australian dollars (3,350 US dollars) each, making their total value about 1.285 million Australian dollars (860,000 US dollars).

The police did not clarify the reason for the alleged lizard smuggling, but Hong Kong has long been considered a hub for illegal wildlife trade due to its busy port and its status as a gateway to mainland China.

The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) in Hong Kong also says that "exotic pets have become increasingly popular" in the semi-autonomous Chinese territory.

The charity states on its website: "Rare species of turtles, tortoises, snakes, lizards, parrots, flying squirrels, hedgehogs, scorpions, and many more are traded as pets."