Ecuadoran police arrested three Thai nationals suspected of illegally trafficking 12 rare iguanas, the energy and environment ministry said Wednesday.Marine Galapagos iguanas are native to Ecuador's cherished Galapagos archipelago, a tourist gem located about 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) off the coast in the Pacific.
One of the iguanas, discovered during an inspection at Joaquin de Olmedo Airport in the port city of Guayaquil on Tuesday, had died.
The others showed "physical ailments" because they were transported with their legs tied up, the ministry said in a statement.
A sniffer dog specializing in wildlife detected the creatures, which were contained in luggage that was heading to Asia, police said.
The court ordered pretrial detention for three Thai nationals over the alleged trafficking of species -- punishable by up to three years in prison in Ecuador.
Galapagos marine iguanas are the only iguana species in the world with the ability to dive, and they can remain underwater for up to 60 minutes.
Police are now investigating possible routes used to traffic species from the Galapagos Islands, as well as how the three suspects circumvented strict controls at the archipelago's airport.
