The 39-year-old and 23-year-old men were stopped by remote police in the Barkly region where their vehicle was searched in July 2021.

Police officers and Parks and Wildlife rangers seized 77 reptiles, including three venomous snakes, from inside their small truck which was headed to the Queensland border. Of the reptiles, 26 were protected species.

Read more:

The reptiles were being transported without authority or the required paperwork.

According to the Department of Environment, Parks and Environment, both men pleaded guilty to all charges in the Darwin Local Court with convictions recorded against them. The 39-year-old received $25,000 in fines and the 29-year-old received around $14,000 in fines for his role.

Director of Wildlife Operations, Kirsten Hay, said the Department welcomed the sentencing.

"This sentencing sends a clear message that wildlife poaching will not be tolerated in the Northern Territory," she said.

"We hope this sentencing acts as a deterrent for anyone trying to poach our precious wildlife.

"We are the voice of protection for our wildlife as they can't speak for themselves."

If you are seeing this message you are a loyal digital subscriber to The Katherine Times, as we made this story available only to subscribers. Thank you very much for your support and allowing us to continue telling your stories. We appreciate your support of journalism in our great area.

Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content:

DO YOU HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY?: Send letters to the editor or story tips to editor.kathtimes@austcommunitymedia.com.au