Labuan Bajo, East Nusa Tenggara. The Indonesian Police on Wednesday announced the arrest of four suspects who attempted to smuggle a baby Komodo dragon from a conservation island in the East Nusa Tenggara Province.

Preliminary investigations indicate that the group had previously captured and smuggled at least five baby Komodo dragons from Rinca Island, a protected area that serves as the natural habitat of these apex predators in eastern Indonesia.

In their most recent attempt, the smugglers concealed the young lizard in a sock and placed it inside a backpack. They entrusted this backpack to an unwitting truck driver at a ferry port on the Labuan Bajo resort island, West Manggarai Regency, on Monday. 

The truck, loaded with bananas, was en route to Bima when quarantine officials conducted an inspection. The driver grew suspicious because "something kept moving inside the backpack" and promptly alerted the authorities.

It was soon confirmed that the creature was a baby Komodo dragon, prompting quarantine officials to contact the police.

Upon receiving this information, the police swiftly identified and apprehended the main suspect, who had booked a flight ticket to Bali, said Chief Comr. Budi Guna Putra, the deputy chief of the West Manggarai District Police.

As the investigation unfolded, three additional suspects were arrested, including two locals who had allegedly been paid to capture baby Komodo dragons in their natural habitat.

The group had successfully captured at least five baby Komodo dragons since June, selling three of them for prices ranging from Rp 20-28 million ($1,262-1,766) to unidentified buyers in Bali and Java, Budi said during a news conference in Labuan Bajo.

One of the baby Komodo dragons died before reaching Bali, and the fifth one was confiscated by authorities.

"The locals hunted Komodo dragon babies on Rinca Island, with each receiving a payment of Rp 2 million," Budi said.

Rinca Island is a part of the Komodo National Park, which also includes other strictly protected islands such as Komodo Island and Padar Island.