KUALA LUMPUR--A Malaysian wildlife trafficker has pleaded guilty to smuggling 95 endangered boa constrictors and could face up to seven years in jail, officials said Friday.

Anson Wong, 52, nicknamed the "Lizard King" and described as one of the world's most-wanted smugglers of wild animals, was arrested at the airport last week after he tried to smuggle the live snakes to neighboring Indonesia.

The Wildlife and National Parks Department has said Wong was arrested after his luggage broke while on the conveyor belt, and airline staff later found snakes and a turtle in his bag.

He was charged in court on Wednesday under laws which prohibit the export of animal without a permit, the department's law and enforcement assistant director Rozidan Md Yasin confirmed to AFP.

He said Wong pleaded guilty to the charge and was out on bail.

Wong faces a fine of up to 100,000 ringgit (32,000 dollars) for each animal and up to seven years in prison.

Wong earned the nickname "Lizard King" for smuggling wildlife, in particular reptiles. He 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.