Mumbai customs officials on 30/6 reported that an Indian citizen traveling from Thailand had concealed dozens of snakes in their checked baggage. This is the third such incident in June involving the illegal transport of wildlife by air.
The snakes found in the luggage were common pet market species, non-venomous and generally harmless to humans. These included garter snakes, California kingsnakes, rhinoceros rat snakes, albino rat snakes, Kenyan sand boas, and several other species. Many of these are frequently traded in the exotic pet market.
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Snakes found in the passenger's checked luggage. Photo: Mumbai Customs/Ministry of Finance, Govt. of India/X |
Snakes found in the passenger's checked luggage. Photo: Mumbai Customs/Ministry of Finance, Govt. of India/X
Earlier in June, another passenger arriving from Thailand was apprehended for smuggling 44 Indonesian pit vipers, three venomous spider-tailed vipers, and five Asian turtles in their checked luggage.
Just days later, customs officials intercepted another smuggling attempt involving over 100 live animals. This included reptiles, honey-eaters, and sugar gliders, many of which are endangered species.
The problem of live animal smuggling by air isn't unique to India. In March, a man in Pennsylvania (USA) was caught trying to sneak a red-eared slider turtle through security at Newark Liberty airport by hiding it in his pants. The reptile was only discovered when the security scanner alerted officials to something unusual in the man's groin area. The turtle, wrapped in a napkin, was found concealed in the man's trousers.
In 11/2024, a 28-year-old South Korean citizen was stopped at Jorge Chavez International Airport (Peru) after security noticed something unusual about his abdomen. Upon inspection, they discovered two belts wrapped around his stomach filled with invertebrates, including spiders, centipedes, and bullet ants. In total, 35 adult spiders, 285 spiderlings, 110 centipedes, and 9 bullet ants were confiscated.
TRAFFIC, an organization that monitors wildlife trafficking, reported that over 7,000 animals have been seized on flights between Thailand and India in the past three years. The organization warns of a worrying trend of increasing demand for exotic pets, fueling illegal cross-border animal transportation.
Tuan Anh (People, CBS News)
