Indian Customs Foils Snake Smuggling Attempt at Mumbai Airport, Seizes 16 Live Snakes
- Indian customs officials in Mumbai foiled a wildlife smuggling attempt, seizing 16 live snakes from a Thai passenger
- The incident marks the third seizure of its kind this month, highlighting a growing trend of animal trafficking
- The seizure is part of a larger issue, with nearly 7,000 animals seized along the Thailand-India aviation route in the past three and a half years
An aircraft passenger from Thailand was stopped by Indian customs officials in Mumbai with a writhing cargo of live snakes, marking the third seizure of this kind this month.
Source: Getty Images
According to CBS News, the customs officers successfully foiled a wildlife smuggling attempt, securing 16 live snakes from a Thai passenger returning to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport in India.
Wildlife smuggling foiled at Mumbai airport
A statement from the customs service, the traveller, who arrived on Sunday, has been apprehended and "further investigation is underway."
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Most of the live snakes were either non-venomous or had venom that was too weak to harm humans, including reptiles that are frequently sold as pets. The agency shared pictures of the found snakes on social media.
Among them were Kenyan sand boas, rhino rat snakes, coastal banded California king snakes, and garter snakes.
The confiscation of animals has gradually increased recently, although customs agents at the Mumbai airport are more accustomed to confiscating contraband gold, cash, or cannabis.
Customs officials apprehended a traveller in early June who was bringing in dozens of poisonous vipers from Thailand. Officers detained a second tourist a few days later who was transporting 100 animals, including possums that could climb trees, sunbirds, and lizards.
Snake in the bag: A growing trend
In February, five Siamang gibbons—small apes indigenous to the woods of Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand—were seized by customs officers at the Mumbai airport. The International Union for the Conservation of Nature categorised those tiny animals as endangered. According to customs officials, they were "ingeniously concealed" in a plastic carton that was put inside the passenger's trolley bag.
Authorities discovered a traveller in November with a dozen live, wiggling turtles. A "very troubling" increase in trafficking, fueled by the exotic pet trade, has been alerted by wildlife trade monitor TRAFFIC, which fights the smuggling of wild animals and plants.
According to the report, almost 7,000 animals—both dead and alive—have been apprehended along the Thailand-India aviation route in the past three and a half years. While most seizures involved animals being transported out of Thailand, TRAFFIC's investigation shows that more than 80% of interceptions occurred in India.
The director of TRAFFIC's Southeast Asia branch, Kanitha Krishnasamy, stated that "the nearly weekly discoveries and diversity of wildlife en route to India is very troubling." It "shows that the clamour for exotic pets is driving the trade," she continued, pointing out that many of those apprehended were alive.
Take a look at the post below:
Source: Getty Images
3 Snakes that stunned South Africans
- Briefly News previously reported that a standing snake was seen on the streets of Mzansi in a video that went viral on TikTok.
- The heart-stopping moment saw the two animals locked in a standoff, with the dog cautiously assessing the threat while the snake remained coiled and ready to strike.
- An online post showed a massive snake making its way up branches, leaving many jaws on the floor.
Source: Briefly News
