Customs officers seized shark jaws, tiger skin rugs and tortoises

Customs officers who searched the luggage of a passenger arriving from the Gambia on Friday found baboon, gibbon and green turtle skulls.

Most of the goods seized are banned from being traded internationally under the Convention in International Trade in Endangered Species.

Over the weekend, officers also searched a property in Cornwall owned by the passenger.

Huge black market trade

They removed more unusual animal items including leopard and tiger skin rugs, whale teeth and tortoises.

The haul could be worth tens of thousands of pounds on the black market, a customs spokeswoman said.

"Because these things are endangered, there are not many around, so when one comes on the black market people will pay a limitless amount for them," she said.

"There is a huge trade in live and dead animals by collectors throughout the world.

"Some estimates put the value of this trade almost as high as that of the illegal drugs trade."

A man has been bailed to appear at Snow Hill Police Station, in the City of London, in six weeks.