Australian customs finds reptiles smuggled in garden gnomes

SYDNEY, Australia – What’s in a gnome? For Australian customs officials, the answer was snakes and lizards.

During a routine check of international mail on June 10, an officer discovered two snakes and three lizards stuffed inside three of the diminutive garden figurines in a shipment from Britain.

“When the package was opened, the officer spotted several snakes moving about. The package was immediately resealed,” Australian customs said in a statement.

Wildlife smuggling carries a maximum penalty of 10 years imprisonment and fines of up to $92,000 if convicted.

Honduran officials audit, stake out ‘love motels’ to curtail tax evasion

TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras – Lovers seeking a private tryst may come face to face with the taxman in Honduras.

In an effort to crack down on tax evasion, Honduran government officials began counting the cars outside hundreds of so-called “love motels” on Tuesday, saying the establishments earn more than they report and cheat the government out of about $40,000 in taxes each month.

Under the “Fiscal Love” operation, tax auditors were also stationed inside the lobbies of the motels.

“Love motels” that rent rooms for as little as six hours are common throughout Latin America, where many youths live at home.

“We’re not interested in whether customers go into the rooms as a twosome, threesome or foursome,” said Armando Sarmiento, a spokesman for the national tax office. “We’re only counting the cars that arrive, not the people inside them.”

From Associated Press reports