Ten crocodiles and other reptiles were recovered from a car during a joint operation last night by police and animal welfare officers near the Border in Co Down.
The Ulster Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (USPCA) and police intercepted the car outside Newry. The USPCA said it believed the reptiles were intended for sale in Northern Ireland.
In another operation, more reptiles were recovered from a house near Omagh, Co Tyrone. The reptiles were seized on animal welfare grounds.
Animal welfare officers have detected a craze for dangerous reptiles that has replaced the fad for buying large cats.
Northern Ireland has yet to adopt a Dangerous Wild Animals Act that would forbid unlicensed trading in exotic animals.
The USPCA's Stephen Philpott said legislation outlawing the trade was urgently needed as animals were often left to deteriorate because their owners do not know how to keep them.
PA