Anson Wong, who has earned the nickname of "Lizard King" for smuggling wildlife, in particular reptiles, was detained by police at Kuala Lumpur International Airport on Thursday night.

Wong, reportedly in his 50s, was nabbed after airline staff were alerted to a piece of broken luggage that was found to contain live snakes of various species.

Wong was in transit from Malaysia's northern state of Penang to Jakarta when he was detained, the Star and New Straits Times newspapers reported, quoting unidentified sources.

"He was picked up by Malaysia Airlines security staff on Thursday night," police chief of central Selangor state, Khalid Abu Bakar, told AFP.

"He is under police lock-up now. The case is being investigated by the Wildlife and National Parks Department," the official said, adding that he had no other details on the case.

The department's top officials declined comment when contacted by AFP.

Wong will be held until next Tuesday for further investigation, reports said.

Described by wildlife groups as one of the world's most-wanted smugglers of wild animals, Wong was reportedly sentenced to 71 months in jail in the United States in 2001 after he pleaded guilty to trafficking charges.

Despite efforts by Southeast Asian authorities to crack down on animal smuggling, the practice still persists in the region, posing a threat to several species, activists say.

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