A Colombian couple allegedly strapped three baby monkeys to their underwear in a twisted bid to smuggle them into the Dominican Republic – with one of the terrified primates suffocating and dying.
The unidentified 27-year-old woman and 26-year-old man were busted at Cartagena’s Rafael Núñez International Airport after stunned authorities discovered the monkeys – two white-faced capuchins and a howler – stuffed in their underwear, according to local police and The US Sun.
The capuchins survived the brutal trek, but the howler is believed to have suffocated inside their clothing.
“This practice is evidence of absolute cruelty and a flagrant violation of animal rights,” Cartagena police Brigadier General Gelver Yecid Peña Araque told the Sun.
“The animal died in conditions that we can only describe as inhumane.”
Harrowing footage showed the two surviving primates sleeping while clinging to a teddy bear and a towel. Other clips captured wildlife officials, who took custody of the scared animals, feeding and caring for the tiny capuchins.
Another snap released by police showed the sick couple, of La Jagua de Ibirico, standing beside two officers, with their heads bowed and hands cuffed behind their backs after their shocking arrest.
The monkeys – reportedly worth over $1.4 million on the global black market – were seen laid out on a table in front of the deranged pair.
The duo were each charged with illegal exploitation of natural resources and wildlife trafficking, according to the outlet.
They face up to 11 years behind bars if convicted.
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