A German man has been jailed for 15 weeks for trying to help smuggle native lizards out of New Zealand.
Manfred Bachmann, 55, an engineer who lives in Uganda, appeared in Christchurch District Court on Wednesday.
He was caught in Christchurch last month with 16 jewelled geckos in his backpack, estimated to be worth $12,000 each on the black market in Europe.
Bachmann told police he was going to give the geckos to someone else to take out of the country.
Two other men, a Swiss stockbroker and a chef from Mexico, admitted the capture and possession of the geckos found with Bachmann, and will be sentenced at the end of March.
In January, a 58-year-old German man was jailed for three-and-a-half months after he was caught trying to leave New Zealand with 44 lizards concealed in his underpants.
Judge Jane Farish, who setenced Bachmann, said the maximum penalty of six months' imprisonment may need to be increased to deter smugglers.
Conservation Minister Kate Wilkinson says she will investigate whether tougher penalties are required.
