Mumbai Airport Customs Foil Four Wildlife Smuggling Attempts From Bangkok; 284 Exotic Animals Seized, Five Arrested

The Mumbai Airport Customs officials had detected four cases this month wherein total 284 exotics wildlife animals were being smuggled to Mumbai from Bangkok. The agency officials have arrested five persons allegedly involved in trafficking of these animals. Customs officials said that some of the animals are of endangered species and are covered under Appendix-II of Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) of Wild Fauna and Flora.

According to the Customs sources, on Friday, on the basis of spot profiling, one Indian national, who had arrived at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International (CSMI) Airport from Bangkok was intercepted by Customs officers and upon questioning, the passenger exhibited signs of nervousness. Further, examination of the baggage revealed that the passenger was carrying 16 snakes, including two Garter Snakes (Thamnophis spp), five Rhinoceros Rat Snake (Gonyosoma boulengeri), one Albino Rat Snake (Pantherophis guttatus), two Kenyan Sand Boa (Gongylophis colubrinus), one Coastal Banded California King Snake (Lampropeltis californiae) and five Albino Honduran Milk Snakes (Lampropeltis triangulum hondurensis).

On June 25, acting on a specific input, the Air Intelligence Unit of Customs had intercepted two Indian nationals at (CSMI) Airport, Mumbai, who had arrived from Bangkok and upon examination of their baggage, customs officials recovered live and dead exotic wildlife animals concealed in their personal belongings. The recovered species included two Sumatran Striped Rabbit (Nesolagus netscheri), one Waigeo Spotted Cuscus (Spilocuscus papuensis), three (including one dead) Brown Basilisk Lizard (Basiliscus vittatus) and 115 Green Iguana (Iguana spp.). Waigeo Spotted Cuscus” and “Green Iguana” covered under Appendix-II of CITES.

The Customs officials, on June 09, on the basis of spot profiling Customs officers arrested one Indian national, who had arrived at CSMI Airport from Bangkok and upon questioning, the passenger exhibited signs of nervousness. Further, examination of the baggage revealed that the passenger was carrying the wildlife species including one Chaco Golden Knee Tarantula (Grammostola pulchripes), one Tarantula (Brachypelma spp.) 80 (including 30 dead) Iguana (Iguana spp.), six Leucistic Sugar Glider (Petaurus braviceps), one dead Fire‑Tailed sunbird (Aethopyga ignicauda), one dead Purple Throated Sunbird (Leptocoma sperata), two Crested Finchbill (Spizixos canifrons), one Honey Bear (Potos flavus), two Brazilian Cherry Head Tortoise (Chelonoidis carbonarius).

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On June 01, Customs officers at CSMI Airport, intercepted a passenger who had arrived from Bangkok and had seized three Spider Tailed Horned Viper (Pseudocerastes urarachnoides), five Asian Leaf Turtle (Cyclemys dentata) and 44 (including one dead) Indonesian Pit Viper (Trimeresurus insularis).

"Those involved in these cases are arrested under the provisions of the Customs Act and Wildlife (Protection) Act. With the help of NGOs, Customs officials secure the recovered animals and deport them to their origin country after obtaining necessary deportation orders from the Animal Quarantine Department. These exotic animals are sold for lakhs of rupees illegally to the clients who keep them at their premises," said a Customs officer.