What the hell?!?

If I were going to smuggle a living creature through airport security and onto a plane, I would NOT consider inside the clothes I was wearing a viable option. Apparently, this guy thought it was an excellent place to hide 18, yes 18, Titi monkeys. The monkeys, which are quite small, were inside bags or socks. According to the story, the man was initially going to store them in his luggage, but he was worried that the x-ray machines would harm them.

First of all, I can't imagine that someone would believe that this was a good plan for smuggling endangered monkeys into another country. I would be worried that, among other things, they would make noise, go to the bathroom or get free during the flight. Two of them died during the trip, which makes me assume they were quite restricted. Of course, I don't know how the two monkeys met their end, so I suppose that I can't rule out natural causes.

I always wonder about people who participate in this kind of activity. Why would they assume they wouldn't get caught? Are they crazy? Insanely optimistic? Found success previously? Extremely passionate about ensuring that all citizens of the world get a chance to own a tiny endangered monkey?