During a police operation in an apartment complex in Bari, «exotic and dangerous animals» were discovered in a concealed basement room that had been converted into a reptile habitat.
Authorities in southern Italy announced on Thursday the discovery of anacondas, boa constrictors, and a caiman hidden behind a false wall, highlighting concerns that dangerous reptiles are increasingly exploited by local criminals to intimidate others.
ADVERTISEMENT 
ADVERTISEMENT
In the course of the raid in Bari’s residential building, police uncovered «exotic and dangerous animals» concealed within a secret basement chamber transformed into a hidden reptile enclosure.
The intervention led to the retrieval of two green anacondas, each roughly 5 metres in length and weighing close to 60 kilograms, along with a spectacled caiman exceeding 1.5 metres.
The police statement emphasized that «the spectacled caiman… is a wild predator with exceptionally strong jaws and can exhibit aggressive behaviour,» posing «a significant risk to public safety.»
Officials also identified an Asian water monitor, a large lizard equipped with claws and capable of delivering a hazardous bite, according to the authorities.
Additional confiscated animals included a yellow anaconda, a Bolivian anaconda, four Burmese pythons each about 3 metres long, and four boa constrictors.
The reptiles were held by «an individual with multiple prior criminal convictions, who is currently not locatable,» according to the statement.
The police highlighted that «the ownership of exotic and particularly dangerous animals within criminal environments is a matter of considerable social concern.»
«In various instances, such creatures are employed to intimidate people or to assert criminal dominance in the locality.»
Additional sources • AFP