Jakarta, April 4 -- Indonesia's Forestry Ministry has foiled an attempt to smuggle 202 reptiles to Dubai via Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, authorities said, underscoring ongoing efforts to combat illegal wildlife trade.

The ministry's Director General of Law Enforcement Dwi Januanto Nugroho said in a statement on Saturday that the operation forms part of a broader strategy to strengthen protection of endangered and protected species.

"Law enforcement is a crucial instrument to create a deterrent effect and dismantle increasingly complex illegal trade networks," he said.

The seized animals included one bodo python, 89 ball pythons, 104 live iguanas and eight dead iguanas, all lacking proper documentation.

Authorities have named...