CAPE, South Africa (AFP) — South African authorities arrested a 28-year-old man whom they caught trafficking 150 venomous scorpions through Cape Town airport, police said on Saturday.

The man had concealed the live arachnids between his clothing inside his luggage, police said.

His arrest on Friday followed an intelligence operation in which officers circulated his description before intercepting him at the airport.

"He was arrested under the Nature and Environmental Ordinance Act, being in possession of a wild animal," police said in a statement, without naming the man. He is expected to appear in court on Monday.

Investigators did not disclose his intended destination.

The scorpions have been handed over to a wildlife facility for safekeeping, while officials assess their market value.

Wildlife trafficking remains a major threat in South Africa, one of the world's most biodiverse countries.

Crime syndicates target iconic species such as rhinos and elephants, but also lesser known creatures including pangolins and reptiles, feeding a lucrative global black market.