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Man detained at airport with 18 monkeys

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MEXICO CITY, July 20 (UPI) -- Police in the Mexican capital said they detained a man at an airport who had 18 monkeys, two of them dead, hidden in a belt beneath his clothes.

Mexico's Pubic Safety Department said Roberto Sol Cabrera Zavaleta, 38, who arrived at the Mexico City airport from Lima, Peru, was stopped due to a bulge beneath his shirt and officers discovered he was hiding the small titi monkeys in a belt under his clothes, CNN reported Tuesday.

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The suspect told police the monkeys were initially transported in his suitcase, but he moved them to the belt to keep them from being harmed by X-ray machines. He said he purchased the primates as "pets" for $30 in Peru.

Investigators said Titi monkeys are classified as a protected endangered species and require permits to own.

Police said Zavaleta was detained and the investigation is ongoing.

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