Man smuggles crocodile on to flight by hiding it in his shoe

The man hid the reptile in his workboot to fly from Darwin to Brisbane, Australia

The small crocodile was concealed in a boot for the duration of the flight (Queensland Department of Environment release)

A man has been prosecuted after smuggling a crocodile onto a flight in a shoe.

A 35-year-old man, who has not been named, concealed the reptile whilst boarding a flight from Darwin to Brisbane in Australia.

The Brisbane Times reports that a government wildlife officer stopped the man at Brisbane Airport and searched his luggage. Upon investigation: “They found a male juvenile salt water crocodile in a small cardboard canister inside one of his work boots.”

Brisbane Magistrates’ Court heard that the man had purchased the crocodile lawfully and that it was so small as to be "essentially harmless".

However, prosecutors argued that it was an offence to bring the reptile into Queensland without authorisation. They said that although the crocodile was small at the time of the offence, a fully grown male salt water crocodile could reach five metres and weigh as much as 1000kg.

The man was fined $5,700 and ordered to pay $250 in costs.