Attempt to Smuggle Over Forty Snakes Leads to Arrest at Indian Airport
A passenger trying to smuggle around forty venomous snakes and turtles was arrested upon arriving at Mumbai Airport, according to Indian customs officials who made the announcement on Sunday evening.
Customs stated in a press release that the man was traveling on a flight "from Thailand" with snakes, including approximately forty Indonesian snakes, "hidden in his checked luggage."
The smuggler, whose identity has not been disclosed, also possessed five Asian turtles.
Mumbai customs released images of the seized animals, notably colorful blue and yellow reptiles.
Last February, customs officials apprehended a traveler with five Siamang gibbons, a species of primates found in the forests of Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand.
These small animals, classified among threatened species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, were "skillfully hidden" in a plastic box placed inside a small bag carried by the passenger, the same source clarified.
Between September and November of last year, Mumbai customs also reported the seizure of approximately 12 live turtles and four colorful hornbills, as well as five tropical American alligators (caimans).
