An Indian passenger allegedly attempting to smuggle venomous vipers was held in Mumbai after flying from Thailand, customs officers within the western metropolis stated on Sunday.
The person, whose id wasn’t revealed, had hid 52 reside animals, together with 44 Indonesian pit vipers, in his checked-in baggage.
Images launched by Mumbai Customs confirmed dozens of turquoise-coloured pit vipers squirming in a bucket and venomous spider-tailed horned vipers slithering.
He was additionally carrying Asian leaf turtles, native to Southeast Asia and recognized for his or her distinctive camouflage of leaf-like carapace.
“An Indian nationwide arriving from Thailand was arrested,” Mumbai Customs stated, including that they’d seized 44 Indonesian pit vipers, three spider-tailed horned vipers and 5 Asian leaf turtles.
One of many 44 pit vipers had died by the point the baggage was opened.
The person, travelling from Bangkok, was intercepted after he “exhibited indicators of nervousness”, The Instances of india“>India quoted the investigators as saying.
The haul of reside animals is a uncommon seizure in Mumbai, the place customs authorities commonly seize smuggled gold, money or medicine. Nevertheless, this isn’t the primary time they’ve discovered reside animals flown into India.
In February, Mumbai airport authorities discovered a smuggler with 5 endangered Siamang gibbons, a small ape native to the forests of Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand. The apes have been discovered hid in a plastic crate positioned contained in the passenger’s trolley bag.
In April final 12 months, customs officers within the southern metropolis of Bangalore arrested a passenger for allegedly smuggling 10 yellow anacondas hid in his checked-in bag. The passenger was flying in from Bangkok, Thailand.
In September 2023, a passenger from Bangkok was discovered carrying six Capuchin monkeys, 55 ball pythons in varied color variations, and 17 king cobras of their baggage. The primates have been discovered lifeless, however the snakes have been nonetheless alive and have been later despatched to their nation of origin.
