A couple were caught after they attempted to smuggle monkeys in their underwear through an airport.
An unnamed man and woman were captured with six baby primates stashed in their pants as they travelled through security.
They were stopped on Saturday (3 May).
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In the video, the animals lay helplessly in a box after a staff member at the airport had managed to rescue them from the couple.
Uniformed officers attached to the Environmental Police and the Anti-Narcotics Unit in the air terminal, were able to locate the animals.
The monkeys had been wrapped in cloth bags which were nestled between the legs of the man and the woman.
It was found that the primates were not older than two months, as reported by Need To Know.
The monkeys were rushed to the Cornare Wildlife Care and Assessment Centre to be examined.
Sadly, only four of the monkeys survived and the other two passed away.
Cornare, a Colombian environmental authority in the East of Antioquia, stated that the monkeys were found sedated.
It has been reported that each animal also showed signs of abuse, torture, dehydration and malnutrition.
The couple were passing through the José María Córdova International Airport, in the city of Rionegro, which is 20 kilometres south-east of Medellín, in Colombia.
Authorities have not yet established what nationality the man and woman are, however, they confirmed that they were not of Colombian descent.
The airport revealed that tragic event which had unfolded in their post.
They said: “Six primates from Colombia’s biodiversity, including critically endangered species, were found sedated and hidden in the private parts of two foreign citizens who were trying to smuggle them out of the country from José María Córdova International Airport.
“The four surviving individuals remain under observation at the Cornare Conservation Area (CAV), where they are receiving specialized care to stabilize them and begin a rehabilitation process.
“The two foreign citizens were handed over to the Attorney General’s Office and will face charges of animal cruelty, wildlife trafficking, and illegal exploitation of natural resources.”
The man and woman responsible are set to be prosecuted for animal abuse and wildlife trafficking.
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